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St Monans is a village in the East Neuk
East Neuk

The East Neuk or East Neuk of Fife is a geographically ill-defined area of the coast of Fife, Scotland, which nonetheless stirs local passions....
 of Fife
Fife

Fife is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire....
 and is named after the legendary Saint Monan. Situated approximately 3 miles west of Anstruther
Anstruther

Anstruther is a small town in Fife, Scotland. The two Anstruthers are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn. Anstruther lies 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews....
, this small picturesque community, whose inhabitants formerly made their living mainly from fishing, is now both a tourist destination situated on the Fife Coastal Walk, and a close knit community with much vitality and vibrancy.






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Stmonans
St Monans is a village in the East Neuk
East Neuk

The East Neuk or East Neuk of Fife is a geographically ill-defined area of the coast of Fife, Scotland, which nonetheless stirs local passions....
 of Fife
Fife

Fife is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire....
 and is named after the legendary Saint Monan. Situated approximately 3 miles west of Anstruther
Anstruther

Anstruther is a small town in Fife, Scotland. The two Anstruthers are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn. Anstruther lies 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews....
, this small picturesque community, whose inhabitants formerly made their living mainly from fishing, is now both a tourist destination situated on the Fife Coastal Walk, and a close knit community with much vitality and vibrancy. The former burgh rests on a hill overlooking the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth

The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh, and East Lothian to the south....
, with views to North Berwick
North Berwick

The Royal Burgh of North Berwick is a seaside resort in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 25 miles east of Edinburgh....
, the Bass Rock
Bass Rock

The Bass Rock, or simply The Bass, is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, approximately one mile off North Berwick....
 and the Isle of May. St Monans contains many historical buildings, most notably the now defunct windmill (which can be visited) that once powered a salt-panning industry, and a 14th century church that sits on the rocks above the water on the western side. Approximately ˝ mile west of St Monans are the remains of the once great Newark Castle
Newark Castle

Newark Castle may refer to:*Newark Castle, Fife, Scotland*Newark Castle, Port Glasgow in Inverclyde, Scotland*Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire, England...
, a 16th century manor that has since fallen to ruin through cliff erosion and disrepair. In 2002, with the permission of Historic Scotland, an unsuccessful attempt to restore the castle was made.

Parish church


St Monans Church is situated within its kirkyard just to the west of the village on the very edge of the sea. It is indeed said to be the church nearest the sea in the whole of Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
. The church, one of the finest remaining from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
 in Scotland, was built by King David II
David II

David II may refer to:* David II Magistros of Tao-Klarjeti* David II of Imereti* David II of Kakheti* David II of Scotland* Dawit II of Ethiopia...
 Bruce (1329-71), initially for a small house of Dominican
Dominican Order

The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic in the early 13th century in France....
 friars. It later became the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland , known informally by its Scots language name, The Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. It is a Presbyterianism church , decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
 parish church. Though the church may never have been finished (it lacks a nave
Nave

In Romanesque architecture and Gothic architecture Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and Church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar....
), it has many features of architectural interest, notably the fine stone vaulting in the choir
Choir

A choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral Music, in turn, is the music written specifically for a choir to perform....
 and the simple but handsome sedilia
Sedilia

The sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, the term given to the seats on the south side of the chancel near the altar for the use of the officiating priests....
. White-washed throughout internally, the church is particularly light and attractive among ancient Scottish churches.

Major restoration to the windows and masonry was completed in March 2007. The church is open to visitors daily from April - October.

St Monans Parish Church is linked with Largoward Parish Church. The current minister of both parish churches is the Revd Dr Donald MacEwan.

ST Monans Parish Church also runs a youth club explore where children from P6 - S2 and any people to old to come from S3 upwards are allowed to come as junior leaders which help out the main leaders although the junior leaders had to come the year before if they wanted to come for another year

Shops, Hotels, Cafés and Businesses


St Monans is home to a number of shops and businesses, including fish merchants and a fish-smokehouse.However the tradition of ship-building has unfortunately ceased, at least for the time being. There is a fine Seafood Restaurant,and the Mayview Hotel has a popular bar and restaurant, St Monans has a selection of convenience stores. The East Neuk Veterinary Clinic, Elie Clean laundry service, Alan Stephen joiner and undertaker, some plumbers, Wilsons Fish, and one or two driving schools are also based in St Monans too. A friendly community cafe, the Harbour Howff, opened in April 2007. The newest addition to the village is Feather Your Nest, a beautiful gift and home wares shop right next door to the cafe. There is also a caravan park which attracts many visitors, largely from the west coast of Scotland, a tradition that has stuck since the days of the railway line.

In fact, in the industrial estate at the entrance to St Monans, are the remains of the old train station, a relic of the old East Neuk Rail Line that was shut down in the 1960s after the Beeching
Beeching Axe

The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the HM Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom....
 cuts. All that remains is the south platform which is overgrown with grass. However a little along from that is the station master's house, now a private residence, which stands out from all the other buildings in the vicinity because it is the only one of its era.

History


The author Christopher Rush grew up in this village. His autobiography "Hellfire and Herrings" describes the community as seen by a small boy and as recounted by his grandfather.

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