Guardbridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Guardbridge | |
|---|---|
| Geàrd Drochaid (Gaelic) | |
| Gaire Brig (Scots) | |
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| OS grid reference: | NO466189 |
| Population: | 627[1] |
| Council area: | Fife |
| Constituent country: | Scotland |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Police force: | Fife Constabulary |
| Lieutenancy area: | Fife |
| Former county: | Fife |
| Post town: | Kirkcaldy |
| Postal: | KY16 |
| Telephone: | 01334 |
| Scottish Parliament: | Fife North East |
| UK Parliament: | North East Fife |
| European Parliament: | Scotland |
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Guardbridge is a village in north-east Fife, Scotland.
It is approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) north-west of St. Andrews, and is situated on the estuary of the River Eden. It stands at the junction of the A91 St. Andrews - Stirling road and the A919/A914 Leuchars - Tay Road Bridge road.
The six-arched Old Guard Bridge (Gaire Brig) was built in the fifteenth century by Bishop Henry Wardlaw of St. Andrews and repaired a century later by Archbishop James Beaton. It is reputed that during the Middle Ages pilgrims gathered here before making the final journey under guard to the holy shrine at St. Andrews.
In 1873, William Haig and two of his sons formed the Guardbridge Paper Company to find a more profitable use for their Seggie whisky distillery which had been established there since 1810. The mill went into production in 1874. As the mill developed the village grew around it, with new housing and roads to attract and accommodate workers. Before the First World War the labour force reached over 400, reaching a peak of 620 in the late 1950s.
The paper mill remains the main local industry and is operated by Curtis Fine Papers.
[edit] References
- ^ Guardbridge. Scotland Census 2001. Retrieved on May 3, 2007.
