Carberry House, Leven, Fife - NO 385010 - Stev 272, 278 - Gatty 151 - Ross 413
A heavily restored obelisk.
When Somerville visited it was incorrectly orientated. It was still incorrectly orientated when I visited.
Visited 08 September 1982 - A. R. Somerville
Visited 08 September 2006 - Author
Mr James Anderson of Leven discovered it on the 15th January 1889 in a broken state and built into a garden wall. It was restored using a grey sandstone rather than the original red - much as the restoration of St Andrews Cathedral was started in a contrasting red sandstone. Perhaps it was following the theory of using a contrasting stone so that the areas of restoration are never confused with the original.
Somerville reported there to be South dials on all sides. This confused me until I went and I realised that this is true only for the top section. The boss and lower section are filled with patterns of accurate dial hollows.
Ross and Anderson claimed that sufficient evidence showed that it was originally the market cross of Leven. It would be the only market cross in Scotland to be an obelisk.
It originally stood on Carpenter's Brae, Leven but was taken down to allow the passage of Mr John Gibson of Durie's funeral in 1767 (after the burning of Gibson House in 1764, Gibson lived on the High Street in Leven).
Ross provides further information
