On the recent Fife
Doors Open Day , many people took the rare opportunity to climb the 103
steps of an 84 foot tower in Dysart. Among their number was The
Flag ‘cultural’ team of Peter and Marilyn Wright, daughter Tricia and
grand-daughter Caitlin, who made short work of climbing the Dysart
landmark of St Serf’s Tower and enjoying the magnificent view. The
remarkably well preserved tower and the ruins of St Serf’s Church
overlook Pan Ha with its renovated 16th and 17th
century houses . The name Pan Ha is a shortened version of Pan Haugh, a
level piece of ground where salt pans were situated. Production of salt
by evaporating sea water over coal fires was once a major industry in
Dysart, indeed Dysart was known as the ‘Saut Burgh’. The remains of the
church are thought to date from the early 16th century, but
the first church in Dysart was dedicated to St Servanus or Serf, the 8th
century holy man who took up residence in a nearby cave, a place of
religious retreat called in Latin a ‘deserta’. Over the years this was
corrupted to give us the place-name Dysart. A church on this site was
re-dedicated by Bishop David de Bernham on 26 March 1245. By
1800 the church was in need of very expensive repairs and a new Parish
Church was built at Townhead in 1802, Part of the old St Serf Church was
demolished to allow a road to the harbour. At this time coal was
exported from Dysart to Scandinavia and the Low Countries. But the Tower
which had been added to the church in the 1540s survives. Built as a
look-out tower, the English were carrying out many raiding trips on the
east coast of Scotland at the time, from local stone quarried nearby the
present harbour. As a place of refuge and defence in troubled times the
Tower provided both and was ideally sited to defend the only clear
landing place on this stretch of the Forth. The lower windows on the
south elevation are in the shape of gunloops, similar to those at nearby
Ravenscraig Castle. Not the sort of thing normally associated with a
church tower. The Tower over the years housed more peaceful activities
than keeping a lookout for marauding English. The ground floor was used
as a Session House and it is recorded that Dysart Town Council also used
the Tower for their meetings, The Tower also housed the bell to summon
worshippers on the Sabbath.
If you get the
opportunity to climb the 103 steps of the turnpike stair of the Tower,
and emerge on the parapet with its cap house, be assured that the views
from the top on a clear day are well worth the climb.
Our thanks to Jim
Swan of The Dysart Trust for his information on the Tower and for
ensuring the safety of The Flag team in their ascent of same. Tricia led
the way up the Tower (behind Jim!) and has been elected to do the recipe
for this week. She has chosen a long time family favourite Melting
Moments.
Melting Moments
Ingredients:
5oz(125g) self-raising flour; 3oz(75g) caster sugar; 2 1/2 oz(65g)
margarine; 1 1/2oz(40g) lard; ½ egg; 1 teaspoon (1 x 5ml) vanilla
essence; oats
Method: Cream
the margarine, lard and the sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in
the egg and vanilla essence. Stir in the flour and mix well. Divide the
mixture into 40 pieces and roll each into a ball and toss in rolled
oats. Place on greased baking trays and flatten slightly. Bake in a
moderate oven 180 deg C, 350 deg F, Gas Mark 4, for 15-20 minutes.
