Crossgates, Fife

Crossgates, approaching from the M90 motorway

Crossgates is a small village in Fife, Scotland.

It is located close to the junction of the M90 and A92, about two miles east of Dunfermline and a similar distance south west of Cowdenbeath. The village name means 'crossroads': it is situated at the point where the main Dunfermline-Kirkcaldy road crosses the old Great North Road from Inverkeithing to Perth.[1]

Crossgates has a long history of mining, both deep and opencast. In 2008 ATH Resources opened an opencast mine at Muir Dean to the south of the village, with the intention of removing 2,000,000 tons of coal.[2] Planning permission for the mine was initially refused by Fife Council but the decision was later overturned by the Scottish Government.[3] In April 2011, an Application for an extension to the Muir Dean mine was lodged by ATH Resources to extend the surface mine to the South. This has now been granted. ATH Resources have since gone into administration, leaving an ecological disaster with an uncertain future.

Crossgates is designated as "Fife's first energy efficient village", though there is no evidence for this.

Sport

Association football

Crossgates is home to the junior football club Crossgates Primrose. Crossgates Primrose F.C play their home games at Humbug Park.

Former Scottish International and Glasgow Rangers player Jim Baxter started his career here before signing for Raith Rovers.

Lawn Bowls

Crossgates has its own Bowling Club which is located to the rear of the Community Centre (Miners' Institute)and has been there since 1940.

Notable residents

Author and radio documentarist Terence Pettigrew lived there (1949–51) and attended nearby St Columba's High School in Cowdenbeath

References

  1. ↑ Taylor, Simon (2006) The Place Names of Fife, Shaun Tyas, Donington, Lincs.
  2. ↑ ATH News Archive
  3. ↑ "ATH given permission to begin Muir Dean operations" Glasgow Herald
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved December 23, 2008. "...Stuart’s from Crossgates,..." Bill Simpson (Skids bassist, 2007)
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Coordinates: 56°04′N 3°23′W / 56.067°N 3.383°W / 56.067; -3.383


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