INTRODUCING CROMBIE

Present Day

Crombie is a vibrant, friendly rural village community of around 200 houses in South West Fife. It is bounded to the South by MoD Defence Munitions Centre (DMC) Crombie, situated on the North bank of the Firth of Forth, to the North by the A985 trunk road and to the West and East by farmland.  This location gives Crombie its unique position as a stand-alone village that is a place where most people know and care about their neighbours, and where residents are most welcome to get involved in the community garden etc!

History

From the 16th century Crombie was part of the parish of Torryburn. Originally an agricultural settlement, in the 18th century it was associated with the busy harbour at Crombie Point, with ships loading iron and coal from the surrounding area. As early as 1632, there was a school in the parish. In 1655, there were as many as four schools, as was still the case in 1841. Crombie Primary School (CPS) was built in 1925 to accommodate 50 pupils from the village of Crombie and outlying farms. Crombie developed in the 20th century in association with naval and maritime facilities at the Royal Navy Armaments Depot (RNAD), now DMC, which has been operational since 1916. In the early 1920’s the Admiralty built the small colourful wooden church.

The village flourished until 2005 when the DMC Crombie workforce was reduced from 168 to 26. The village was now in decline. The Bircome (an anagram of Crombie) pub closed in 2005. The post office, situated in the village shop, closed in 2006 followed by the village shop in 2008 after several attempts to keep it going. The church closed in 2010. As part of the 2010 Defence Review the workforce was further reduced and it was possible that the facility might close altogether.  Despite this gloomy prediction, it is still there and very active.

Crombie Primary School Closed in December 2014 after having served Crombie Community for nearly a century. As of January 2015 the only  community facilities available within the village are the play park and the Community Leisure Centre and the Community Garden.  The Community Garden was promoted by the residents’ association and brought into reality with the aid of a substantial Tesco Community Grant and assistance from others, including Fife Council. Since then, it has helped the village to a number of Beautiful Fife and It’s Your Neighbourhood awards, as well as being the venue for various community activities.

The future

Crombie Residents Association was originated to encourage a positive community spirit and to help improve living conditions, community facilities and services for residents living in Crombie village by representing the Association's views to Fife Council and other local agencies.  Since its beginning, the CRA has tackled many problems for the villagers, including car parking and dog fouling, but has also provided things to do and entertainment for the children through the Social Group. New developments include additional affordable homes built on the site of the former Primary School, plans for more housing on Ordnance Road, and a campaign for upgrading the Play Area and the football pitch.