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A circular tour of the historical village of Ceres, taking in the sights of this picturesque place!
In days gone by, Ceres, situated on the old road between St Andrews and Kirkcaldy, was a stopping post for travellers - providing food and shelter for both people and horses. Today it retains much of its character and is renowned for its art and antique shops.
Park at the above co-ordinates to start your tour then cross the road to get to the
BANNOCKBURN MEMORIAL (N56 17.522 W002 58.284)
Local tradition says that the men of Ceres marched to Bannockburn on the 24th of June 1314 to support Robert the Bruce in his battle against the English. This granite monument was built in 1914 to commemorate the local men who fought in the battle.
The memorial stands on an octagonal and a circular plinth.
A = How many slabs of stone make up the circular plinth?
Now head over to the
OLD CROFTHOUSE (N56 17.542 W002 58.355)
This is the last building in the row of houses.
Look at the upper windows on the right hand section of the building.
B = How many thistles can you see above them?
The expanse of green between this row of houses and the burn is known as the “Bow Butts”, so-called because compulsory archery practice was once held here. Ceres Highland Games has been held here every June (with the exception of wartime) since 1314 - when they were established to mark the victory at Bannockburn.
“For this is June’s great gala day,
When men rin wud and youngsters play;
The day that marks the glad return
Of Ceres men frae Bannockburn”.
Take the path down towards the burn and follow it along until you reach the bridge
THE IRON BRIDGE
In the centre of the bridge (N56 17.579 W002 58.419), there are two metal plates - one on each side - facing skywards. Chose either the left or the right side (not both!).
D = How many rivets on the plate?
Cross the bridge and continue along to the
MELDRUMS HOTEL (N56 17.620 W002 58.423)
E = This hotel was established in 184?
Cross over the main road and head up Curling Pond Road.
On your left you will pass
KIRKLAND HOUSE (N56 17.633 W002 58.402)
F = How many pieces of glass make up the semicircle at top of the front door?
Continue walking up, taking a right into Kirk Brae.
On your left you will see
GRISELDA HILL POTTERY
Wemyss Ware - hand-painted collectable pottery - was first made in Fife in 1882, but the factory closed in 1932. Griselda Hill Pottery was founded in 1985 to revive production of this traditional craft.
There are two car park signs on this building - both made from sets of tiles. Look at the car park sign on the LEFT (N56 17.647 W002 58.353)
G = How many tiles make up this sign?
Keep walking until you reach
THE PARISH CHURCH (N56 17.610 W002 58.323)
This church was built in 1806 on what is believed to be the site of a much older one - possibly over 1000 years old.
H = How many panes of glass are there directly above the door (under the date)?
Move on to the
CHURCHYARD (N56 17.607 W002 58.311)
In the 1840’s a group of men gathered to help protect the graveyard from body snatchers, who stole newly-buried bodies to sell to anatomy students in Edinburgh. On one occasion, a guard, drunk and asleep, was substituted for a corpse while the bodysnatchers were fetching their cart. The other guards watched in amusement as the bodysnatchers got a fright when the body in the sack began to move.
J = At the top of the gates are several arrowheads, but how many cones can you see here?
Head into the churchyard. There is a mausoleum at N56 17.620 W002 58.291
K = How many holes make up the grid in its wooden door?
Leave the churchyard and continue along Main Street, cross at the crossroads (“The Cross” was where many old roads converged in olden days - making it an area of activity and trade) and stand in front of the “Toby Jug”!
THE PROVOST (N56 17.541 W002 58.222)
This is one of the most famous images of Ceres, and was carved in the 19th century by John Howie, a local stonemason. It is said to represent Thomas Buchanan who was minister of Ceres in the late 16th century and the last church provost. The carving was re-erected here, amongst other carved stones - some of medieval origin - in 1939. The Provost had been bought by a Ceres minister in 1837, and he had remained in the garden of the old church manse until the then owner sold him to a Cupar lady in 1933. However, the locals were so indignant that they demanded that the Provost be returned and he was placed in a prominent position within the village.
L = How many castellations on top of the structure?
Turn around and look over to Ceres Inn.
This is the oldest surviving inn in Ceres and would have frequently been used by travellers in days gone by.
M = How many drainpipes can you see running vertically down the road-facing side of this building?
Pop round the back of the Provost to find a plaque (N56 17.537 W002 58.219)
N = The date at the bottom is ?0 August 1995
Walk down the High Street (the oldest part of the village) until you reach the
WEIGH HOUSE (N56 17.520 W002 58.226)
The original stone carving of scales, to indicate the past use of this building, can still be seen above the door. Standard measures were kept here for checking goods at markets and fairs, and for weighing rents paid to the local baron. Before it became the weigh house, this building was the Court House. The jougs - an iron collar placed round the neck of offenders to publicly disgrace and humiliate them can still be seen hanging on the wall. In 1748, Ceres came under the jurisdiction of the County Court at Cupar and the Court House was closed, only to reopen as the Weigh House at a later date when village trade expanded. The weigh house, along with several of the surrounding buildings, is now part of the Fife Folk Museum, which details rural life in Fife over the last 300 years.
P = How many vertical planks of wood make up the door?
Keep walking down to the end of the High Street until you reach
BISHOPS BRIDGE (N56 17.491 W002 58.239)
This is a 17th century packhorse bridge, over which Archbishop Sharp is said to have driven just before his murder at Magus Muir (have you done the cache there yet?!).
Look back towards the Fife Folk Museum
R = How many black pipes can you see spanning the burn?
Now carry on back into the car park and work out the co-ordinates of the final cache. These are:
N56 1S.TUV W002 5W.X8Z
Where:
S = K - N
T = P x E
U = (L - R) - 2
V = (D divided by F) + 6
W = (G x B) + 1
X = (H - J) - 9
Z = (A divided by M) + 1
You can walk from where you are, or take your car closer by parking at N56 17.140 W002 58.290
Cache contents at time of replacing: fridge magnet, two highlighters, hair treatement, powerball, fuses, bracelet, Canadian coin, bottle stopper, bath gel, golf ball.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ghpxrq haqre onex naq yrnirf ng onpx bs phg gerr fghzc