Valleyfield Estate: Rustic Bridge 2, Over Bluther Burn, Valleyfield Estate

Components of Humphrey Repton's landscape design of circa 1800-1804. Picturesque masonry footbridge, single arch spanning the Bluther Burn. Cyclopean, "rustic" masonry, voussoirs of volcanic type rock.

Part of the former Valleyfield House Estate was acquired by Dunfermline District Council in 1988 as a country park. (Historic Scotland)

October 2007: Site inspection reveals the bridge to be in very poor condition. There is structural damage due to small trees/saplings growing in the structure. Masonry joints are also open allowing rainwater to permeate through the structure.

August 2010: Inspection finds no significant change from the previous site visit. Deterioration continues.

November 2011: A member of the public advises repair work to the walled garden and the rustic bridges is to commence shortly.

20 May 2014: External inspection finds the bridge remains in much the same condition as seen previously. Listed Building Consent for alterations and repairs to various bridges, steps and external walls was lodged but withdrawn May 2012 ref: 12/01464/LBC.

Fife Council submitted a circa £2million bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the restoration/ re-instatement of part of the Renton designed landscape. The bid focused on the restoration of the walled garden and rustic bridges along with the reinstatement of the ornamental canal. Although the initial bid was unsuccessful, an ambition to work towards a revised HLF application, taking into account feedback from HLF, considering a far wider restoration of the Renton-designed parklands, remains. Local community interest in the site remains high - Valleyfield Heritage Project, founded in 2011, aims to see the restoration of old estate of Valleyfield and Bluther Burn - with a number of ongoing activities within the woodland planned.

29 April 2019: External inspection finds no significant change from previous visit. Bridge very overgrown but remains part of path network.