The approximately £1.5 million project to repair Inverkeithing’s A listed Town House and create a vibrant community hub managed by the local community, is nearing completion.

The landmark historic building has been repaired to safeguard it for the future, and adapted to create an accessible community use space in the town centre. Once works are completed, the Town House will be a busy space again, used by all generations for meetings, birthday parties, exhibitions, dance, and much more: Town House 3D Plans

The Old Town House Inverkeithing is a new community charity set up with support from Community Enterprise to manage the building. They are looking for support from anyone who would like to get involved in running the building. If you think you can help with marketing, income generation – or anything else – they would love to hear from you. Follow their Facebook page for updates: The Old Town House, Inverkeithing | Facebook

The building works contract is administered by conservation accredited ARC Architects with specialist input from Ralph Ogg & Partners (Quantity Surveyor), Harley Haddow (Services Engineer) and David Narro Associates (Structural Engineer). The contractor is Ashwood Scotland Ltd.

A stone and slate survey of the historic centre of Inverkeithing was carried out in 2020 by the Scottish Lime Centre Trust. The survey report outlines the condition of the traditional buildings (those built before 1919) and their main repair and maintenance needs. It also identifies suitable matching stone, slate and mortar for use in repairs.

To identify Inverkeithing’s stones, stone cores were taken from a representative sample of buildings. These were analysed in the lab to identify the unique characteristics and properties of each stone sample, including colour, density and water absorption. Local mortars and sands were also analysed.

The stone samples were compared against samples taken from historic quarry sites to identify the original source of the stone. They were also compared against data from quarries that are currently in operation, to identify suitably matching stones that can be used in masonry repairs today. This is important because incompatible replacement stone can damage the surrounding masonry and look unsightly.

The survey report is a useful resource for contractors, specifiers and property owners. Follow the links below for the full report.

A Building Stone Survey for Inverkeithing Conservation Area, Fife Final 2021

Appendix C – Stone analysis reports

Appendix D – Mortar analysis reports

Appendix G – Stone distribution map PA

Appendix H – Historic Quarry Locations

Appendix J – General guidance on Lime Work

Appendix K – Mortar Skew Fillet and Key (with specification)

Appendix L – Generic Specifications

Appendix M – Generic ashlar grouting powerpoint

Appendix N – Traditional burnt sand mastic pointing

Appendix O Glossary of Terms

Inverkeithing has a superb architectural heritage, reflected in its many listed buildings and large Conservation Area, and these historic buildings need regular care and attention.

Training and Advice

We provide training and building maintenance advice to property owners and tenants, to help them repair and conserve the external fabric and traditional appearance of their buildings.

We have recorded some of our seminars on traditional building maintenance for property owners, where our guest speakers shared their extensive knowledge and experience with us. These are available to watch on YouTube, and are well-worth dipping into for building maintenance hints and tips.

Other useful sources of information include:

• Under One Roof: underoneroof.scot
• The Engine Shed: engineshed.scot

Inverkeithing Building Repair Grant Scheme

The grant scheme has now closed to new applications. A limited number of grants were available for properties within the historic centre of Inverkeithing. Grants have supported sensitive repairs to the external fabric of historic buildings using traditional materials and skills. The reinstatement of architectural features and details were also funded. More detail can be found here Inverkeithing Grants Leaflet.

Improvements to the High Street and repairs to the Mercat Cross are an important part of the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration scheme. A first phase of works, in front of the Civic Centre, has been completed. The main phase of the construction works is now nearing completion.

The improvement works are managed by Fife Council, the main contractor is Hillhouse Group, and the conservation specialist for the Mercat Cross is Graciella Ainsworth Sculpture Conservation. You can view the plans on Fife Council’s planning portal here, or follow the links below to find out more. 

Fife Council’s Roads, Design & Build team can be contacted on 03451 555555 extension 480080. For emergencies outside their usual working hours, please call 03451 550099.

Bench design

Design statement

Port features

Planter design

Street furniture

Street layout

Surfacing materials

Mercat Cross planning consent

The Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project has delivered a wide range of activities and training to allow contractors, building professionals, school pupils, local residents and the community learn new skills, discover more about looking after historic buildings, survey and excavate archaeologically significant buildings and places. Also to learn more about Inverkeithing’s fascinating and long history.  

Below you will find links to a fascinating lecture from conservation accredited structural engineer, Steve Wood, of Narro, explaining the approach to Inverkeithing’s Town House, an A listed structure in a tight urban context. There are links to two further talks on building maintenance.  

A virtual tour of some of Inverkeithing’s heritage, produced by talented young people in Fife, during lockdown,  now offers a chance to see the “before” of Inverkeithing Town House, and  Friary interiors, rarely open to the public.  

Scrolling on, there is a third householder talk about how to maintain and repair property – with much useful advice from conservation architect, Jo Parry-Geddes of Mill Architects.  

There’s a gallery of Inverkeithing Town House models, by some talented young people, and then links to the Inverkeithing podcast series. 

The final activity on this page is a way to get to know some of the historic features of Inverkeithing – by doing a jigsaw – why not see how fast you can solve the puzzles! 

Conservation Engineering to Transform Inverkeithing Town House: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpG2wU8UYSk

Property Maintenance Series – Talk 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-F_mUHoEHI 

Property Maintenance Series – Talk 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X68ybnEt5rE&t=39s

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Here at Fife Historic Buildings Trust, we really love your creativity, thank you for letting us share your pictures, Anya, Dylan, Maya, Eilidh, James, Anais, Lily and Jane.

If you have made and coloured a model, we’d love to see it too. Please send us your pictures, to .

Inverkeithing podcasts

The Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration podcast, Series 1, was launched in 2020. Listen to episodes about Inverkeithing and pirates, the plague, find out more about the Town House. Subscribe, to find out new information currently being uncovered about Inverkeithing’s relationship to the Scottish Wars of Independence, and Inverkeithing’s direct connection to the Declaration of Arbroath. The episode descriptions have links to sources of further information on the topic.

Subscribe, and never miss an episode, on:

• Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/show/2EmbfTC9wn7NRz6N87zIzH
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inverkeithing-heritage-regeneration/id1531498334?uo=4
• Anchor.fm https://anchor.fm/emma-griffiths
• Breaker https://www.breaker.audio/inverkeithing-heritage-regeneration
• Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/nklkly3t
• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/inverkeithing-heritage-regenerati-WdqdvL

Take on a jigsaw challenge

Take on a jigsaw challenge, and get to know some of Inverkeithing’s heritage a different way. There’s an inbuilt timer – you can get competitive with your jigsaw completing skills!

Inverkeithing Town House, 45 pieces, moderate https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=15910e3c1f90

Town House panel, easier, 36 pieces

 https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=0c88e8168d7e

Inverkeithing’s Town House has well documented alterations that date to the mid-1700s, but wall thicknesses in parts of the tower suggest the origins of the building may date from the 14^th or 15^th centuries. Inverkeithing was granted it Royal Burgh status in 1160, so some form of building in which serious town affairs were debated, taxes and tithes were collected and justice law and order were maintained, must have existed for centuries. There were even cells in the building, right up until the 19^th century – records exist of prison inspections, which report on the rather dubious jailor.

 Providence House Inverkeithing, moderate, 49 pieces

https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=12b54a16264b

Can you beat someone else in the time it takes to complete the jigsaws?

The last jigsaw is of Providence House, with its carved lintel from 1688 – and the initials of patron who extended her house at that time: Isabella Bairdie.

Why not go for a walk to the centre of Inverkeithing, have a good look at the Town House, and read the full inscription at Providence House – now Ferrier and MacKinnon Optometrists in the High Street – when you’ve completed the jigsaws?

The Inverkeithing Burgh Survey, also called People Making History, was a series of linked activities and research carried out as part of the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration scheme. Led by Northlight Heritage, it resulted in a published book with a comprehensive history of the fascinating town. This will guide future development in Inverkeithing by highlighting areas of particular historical interest and significance.

The Burgh Survey allowed local people to learn new skills. Volunteers took part in standing building surveys to investigate, measure and record the historic Town House and the Friary Hospitium building. Volunteers also participated in historic research sessions guided by historian Dr Thomas Turpie; and took part in an archaeological dig at the Friary Gardens led by Dr Gavin MacGregor.

An oral history project recorded local people’s memories of the major 20th century industries in Inverkeithing: Caldwell’s Paper Mill and Thomas Wards Shipbreakers. The interviews also reveal lots of local colour and interest and are available to view on our YouTube channel. Several local people attended training and are planning to use their skills to carry out more oral history recordings in the future.

Click on the links below to view the standing building survey reports for the Town House and the Friary, and the report of the archaeological dig at the Friary Gardens.

Town House Standing Building Survey report

Friary Standing Building Survey report

Friary Gardens Archaeological Dig report

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