Rusting agricultural machinery auctioned off to support Fife park revamp

Silverburn Park staff have auctioned the agricultural machinery that ha lain rusting in the park since the 1970s as part of plans to renovate the park and the former flax mill that sits in it.
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The farming machinery auction held online by Pentland Auctions this month raised more than £1000 towards the renovation of the parks iconic Flax Mill into a multi million pound Visitor Centre.

Of the £1,102.04 raised, a donation of £100 will be made to Fife Vintage Agricultural Machinery Club in recognition of the invaluable assistance it gave in cataloguing the collection.

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Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT) which took on the lease for the 27 acre public park, has been reviving the park as a place for well being and reflection since 2019, and plans on renovating the former flax mill in its grounds into a visitor centre and community hub.

Some of the old machinery that went under the hammer.Some of the old machinery that went under the hammer.
Some of the old machinery that went under the hammer.

The machinery was part of an exhibition at the park when Fife Council ran it as a petting zoo.

It was never used at the park, and the new centre will focus on the original flax processing methods which took place at Silverburn Park in the 19th century.

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Brian Robertson, Silverburn Park chairman, said: “We are very grateful to Pentland Livestock and Fife Vintage Agricultural Machinery Club for their invaluable help in auctioning off the substantial agricultural machinery collection.

Some of the old machinery that went under the hammer.Some of the old machinery that went under the hammer.
Some of the old machinery that went under the hammer.
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"The machinery will have a new lease of life with new owners rather than being scrapped, and the funds raised will go towards the renovation of the Flax Mill as a Visitor Centre opening in 2026.”

To support the Crowdfunder log onto: www.greenspacescotland.org.uk/silverburn-flax-mill or text FLAX to 70085 to donate £5.

The park was gifted to the people of Leven in the 1970s by the Russell family, who originally established the Mill and themselves lived at Silverburn.

The Flax Mill development will honour the park’s overall ethos (which is protected by a conservation agreement with the National Trust for Scotland) as "a place of quiet enjoyment, supporting the health and wellbeing of the community, while also respecting both the habitat and biodiversity of the park environment"

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