0719 Main Street in the town of St.Andrews
Image by Bravehardt
St Andrews
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St Andrews(Scot:Saunt Aundraes;Scottish Gaelic:Cill Rimhinn) is a former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland,named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.The town is home to the University of St Andrews,the third oldest univerity in the English-speaking would and one of Britain’s most prestigious.The University is an integral part of the burgh,and during term time student make up approximately one third of the town’s population.St Andrews has a population of 16680,making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife.
There has been an important church in St Andrews since at lest the 8th century,and a bishopric since at least the 11th century.The settlement grew to the west of St Andrews cathedral with the southern side of the Scores to the north and the Kinness burn to the south.The burgh soon became the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland,a position which was held until the Scottish Reformation.The famous cathedal,the largest in Scotland,now lies in ruins.
St Andrews is also known worldwide as the "home of golf". This is in part because the Royal and Ancient Golf Cluf,founded in 1754,exercises legislative authority over the game worldwide (except in the United States and Mexico),and also because the famous link (acquired by the town in 1894) is the most frequent venue for The Open Championship,the oldest of golf’s four major championships.Visitor travel to St Andrews in great numbers for several courses ranked amongst the finest in the world,as well as for the sandy beaches.
The Martyrs Memorial,erected to the honour of Patrick Hamilton,George Wishart,and other of the Reformation epoch,stands at the west end of the Scores on a cliff overlooking the sea.
Name
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The earliest recorded named of the area is muckross (from Scottish Gaelic: Mucrois meaning "Boar head/peninsula"). After the founder of a religous settlement in Muckross in around 370 AD,the name changed to Cennrigmonaid.The Old Gaelic and composed to the elements cenn Rigmonaid (cell meaning church ) and was anglicized Kilrymont.The modern Gaelic spelling is Cill Rimhinn.
History
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The first inhabitants who setting on the estuary fringes of the river Tay and river Eden during the mesolithic (middle stone age)came from the plains in Northern Europe between 10,000 BC to 5,000 BC. This was followed by the nomadic people who settled around the modern town around 4,500 BC as farmers cleaning the area of woodland and building monuments.
I AD 877,King Causantin mac Cinaeda (Constantine I or II ) of Scots built a new church for for the Culdees at St Andrews and later the same year was captured and executed (or perhaps killed in battle) after defending against Viking raiders.
In AD 906,the town became the seat of the bishop of Alba,with the boundaries being extended to include land between the River Forth and River Tweed.
The establishment of the present town began around 1140 by Bishop Robert on a L-shaped vill,possible on the site of the ruined ST Andrews Castle.According to aa charter or 1170,the new burgh was built to the west of the Cathedal precinct,along Castle Street and possible as far as what is now known as North Street.This means that the lay-out may have led to the creation of two new streets (North Street and South Street) from the foundations of the new St Andrews Cathedral filling the area inside a two-sided triangle at its apex.The northern boundary of the burgh was the southern side of the Scores (the streer between North Street and the sea) with the southern by the Kinness Burn and the western by the West Port.The burgh of St Andrews was first represented at the great council at Scone Palace in 1357.
Recognised as the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland,the town now had vast economic and political influence within Europe as a cosmopolitan town. In 1559,the town fell into decay after the violent Scottish Reformation and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms losing the status of ecclesiastical capital of Scotland.Even the St Andrews University were in consideration over a re-location to Perth around 1697 and 1698.Under the authorisation of the bishop of St Andrews,the town was made a burgh of barony in 1614.Royal Burgh was than granted as a charter by King James VI of Scotland in 1620.In the 18th century,the town was still in decline,but despite this the town was becoming known for having links ‘well known to golfers’.By the 19th century,the town began to expand beyond the original medieval boundaries with street of new houses and town villas being built.Today,St Andrews is served by education,golf and the tourist and conference industry.
Governance
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St Andrews is represented by several tiers elected government.St Andrews Community Council from the lowest tier of governance whose statutory role is to communicate local opinion to local and central government.Fife Council,the unitary local authority for St Andrews,based in Glenrothes is the executive,deliberative and legislative body responsible for local governance.The Scottish Parliament is responsible for devolved matters such as education,health and justice while reserved matters are dealt with by the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The first parliament to take place in the town was in 1304,when King Edward I of England came to be received by Bishop William de Lamberton as overlordship of Scotland.As mant as 130 landowners turned up to witness the event ranging from Sir John of Combo to Sir William Murray of Fort.In the early days of the union of 1707,St Andrews elected one member of parliament along with Cupar,Purth,Dundee,and Forfar.The first elected parliament was introduced on November 17,1713 as St Andrews Burgh,which merged with Anstruther,the result of a reform bill in 1832.The act of reformation seat in 1855,would find one MP sitting for St Andrews Burgh (which would include Anstruther Easter,Anstruther Wester,Crail,Cupar,Kilrenny and Pittemweem).Prior to 1975 the town was governed by a council,provost and baillies.In 1975,St Andrews came under Fife Regional Council and North East Fife District Council.The latter was abolished when a single-tier authority was introduced in 1996 as Fife Council based in Glenrothes.
St Andrews forms part of the North East Fife constituency,electing one Member of Parliament (MP) to House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system.The constituency is represented by Sir Menzies Campbell,MP of the Liberal Democrats.For the puposes of the Scottish Parliament,St Andrewa forms part of the North East Fife constituency.The North East Fife Scottish Parliament (or Holyrood) constituency created in 1999 is one of nine within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region.Each constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election,and the region elects seven additional members to produce a form of proportional representation.
At EU level ST Andrews is part of the pan-Scotland European Parliament constituency which elects seven Members of the European Parliament (MEP)s using the d’Hondt method of party-list proportional repesentation.Scotland returns two Larbour MEPs,two SNP MEPs,one Conservative and Unionist MEP and one Liberal Democrat MEP,to the European Parliament.
Landmarks
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St Andrews was one bounded by several "ports" (the Lowland Scots word for a town gate).Two are still extant:So’gait port (South Street,now called West Port) and the Sea Yett (as The Pends terminates to the harbour).The Category A listed West Port is one of few surviving town ‘Port’ of Scotland.The towers were influenced by those seen at the base of the Netherbow Port in Edinburgh.The central archway which displays semi-octagonal ‘rownds’and ‘battle’ is supporting by corbelling and neatly moulded passageways.Side arches and relief panels were added to the port,during the reconstruction between 1843-1845.
The Category A listed Holy Trinity (also known as the Holy Trinity Parish Church or "town Kirk") is the most historic church in St Andrews.The church was initially built on land,close to the south-east gable of the Cathedral,around the 1144 by Bishop Robert Kennedy.The church was dedicated in 1234 by Bishop David de Bernham and then moved to a new site on the north side of South Street between 1410-1412 by Bishop Warlock.Towards the end of June 1547,this was location where John Knox first preached in public and to whom returned to give an inflammatiory sermon on June 4,1559 which led to the stripping of both the cathedral and ecclesiastial status.Much of the architecture feature of the church was lost in the re-building by Robert Balfour between 1798-1800.The church was later restored to a (more elaborately decorated) approximation of its medieval appearance beteen 1907-1909 by MacGregor Chambers.Only the north-western tower and spire with parts of the arches were retained.
To the east of the town center,lie the ruins of the Category A listed St Andrews Cathedral.This was at one time Scotland’s largest building,originated in the priory of Canons Regular fonded by Bishop Robert Kennedy.The Category A listed St Rule’s Church to the south-east of the medieval cathedral is said to date from around 1120 and 1150,being the predecssor of the cathedral.The tall square tower,part of the church, was built to hold the relics of St Andrews and became known as the first cathedral in the town.After the death of Bishop Robert Kennedy,a new cathedral began in 1160 by Bishop Arnold (his successor) on a site adjacent to St Rule’s Church.Work on the cathedral was finally completed and consecrated in 1318 by Bishop Wiilliam de Lamberton with King Robert the Bruce of Scotland (1306-1329) present at the ceremony.
The ruins of the Category A listed St Andrews Castle are situated on a cliff-top to the north of the town.The castle was first erected around 1200 as the residence,prison,and fortress of the bishop of the diocese.Several reconstructions occurred in subsequent centuries,most notable due to damage incurred in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
The castle was occupied,besieged and stormed during The Rough Wooing and was severely damaged in the process.
The majority of the castle seen today dates to between 1549 and 1571.The work was commissioned by John Hamilton (archbishop of St Andrews)in a renaissance style which made the building a comfortable,palatial residence while still remaining well-fortified.After the Reformation,the castle passed to several owners,who could not maintain its structyre and the building deteriorated into a ruin.The castle is now adminstered by Historic Scotland.
The apse of the Dominican friary,Blackfriars,can still be seen on South Street (between Madras College and Bell Street).Other defunct religious houses that existed in the midieval town,though less visible,have left traces,as for instance the leper hospital at St Nicholas farmhouse (the Strading) between Albany Park and the East Sands leisure center.
Education
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Today,St Andrews is home to one secondary school;one private school and three primary school. Canongate Primary School,which opened in 1972 is located off the Canongate,beside the St Andrews Royal Botanic Gardens.The school rolls was recorded as 215.Lawhead Primary School,which opened in 1974 is on the western edge of the town.The school was recorded as 181.
Madras College is the sole secondary school in the town.The school which opened to pupils in 1833 was based on Madras system-founded and endownd by Dr.Andrew Bell (1755-1832),a native of the town.Prior the opening,Dr Andrew Bell was interested in the demand for a school which was able to teach both poor and privileged children on one site.The high reputation of the school meant that many children came from throughout Britain to be taught there,often lodging with masters or residents in the town.The school is now located on two campuses-Kilrymont and South Street(incorporating the original 1833 building).Pupils in S1-S3 are served by Kilrymont and S4-S6 by South Street.
The private school known as St Leonards School with initially established as the St Andrews School for girls company in 1877.The present name was taken in 1882 when a move to St Leonards House was made.The school is now spread across thirty acres between Pends Road and Kinnesburn.A private school for boys was also set up in 1933 as New Park.The operation of the school merged with the middle and junior sections of St Leonards to become St Leonards-New Park.
The University of St Andrews,the oldest in Scotland,dates back to 1410.A charter for the university was issued by Bishop Henry Wardlaw between 1411 and 1412.This was followed by Avignon Pope Benedict XIII granting university status to award degrees to students in 1413.The school initially started out as a society for learned men in the fields of canon law,the arts,and divinity.The chapel and college of St John the Evangelist became the first building to have ties with the university in 1415.The two original colleges to be associated with the university were St Salvator in 1450 by Bishop James Kennedy and St Leonard in 1512 by archbishop Alexander Stewart and prior James Hepburn.
Sports and Recreation
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St Andrews is known widely as the "home of golf".According to the earliest surviving document from 1552,the "playing at golf" on the links adjacent to the "water of eden’ was granted permission by Archbishop John Hamilton.The most famous golf course in the town is the Old Course,purchased by the town council in1894.The course which dates back to medieval times is an Open Championship course-which was fiorst staged in 1973.Famous winners at St Andrews have included:Old Tom Morris (1861,1862,1867,and 1874),Bobby Jones (1927 and 1930 British Amateur,Jack Nicklaus (1970 and 1978).According to Jack Nicklaus "if a golfer is going to be remembered,he must win at St Andrews".There are seven golf courses in total-Old Course,New Course,Jubilee Course,Eden Course,Strathtyrum Course,Balgove Course and the Course-surrounding the western approches of the town.The seventh golf course (the Castle Course) was added at Kinkell Braes,designed by Divid McLay Kidd.
Other leisure facilities in the town include a canoe club,junior football (soccer) teams;rugby club (known as Masras Rugby Club);tennis Club;university sports center and links golf driving range.The East Sands Leisure Center,which opened in 1998,sits on the outskrits of the town as the town’s swimming pool with gym facilities.The University of St Andrews have expressed plans to provide a new multi-million pound leisure center to replace East Sands.
