The Haugh is an area of public park by the River Eden just east of the town centre of Cupar in the Kingdom of Fife. An information sign near the town's war memorial at the western side of the park, gives a timeline of the history of the area via a series of illustrated maps, as well as historic information on the memorial. The text accompanying the illustrations reads as follows:
'1642: The earliest town plan of Cupar, published in 1642, shows how close the river Eden once ran to Castle Hill.
1775: This plan by John Ainslie, published in 1775, shows Cupar before St Catherine Street was laid out and the river diverted.
The Eden then did not run in its present channel, but deviated at a point west of the Old Jail, flowed northwards around the Haugh...resuming it's present course near the bridge at Tarvit Gate...By making a new cut, and turning the Eden into its present straight course, a considerable piece of land was added to the town's property.
1820: This extract from John Wood's plan of 1820 shows the river Eden in its new channel, and the Cart Haugh to the east of the Ladyburn. It also shows a proposed cresent which was never built (the present Pitscottie Road is further east).
The land to the west of the Ladyburn consisted of Nicholson Park, gifted to the town by Provost Alexander Nicholson in 1871, and to the south of it, Hood Park, gifted to Cupar by Provost Robert Hood in 1896.
1840: This engraving, published in 1840, shows the view of Cupar from the east.
Many of the buildings can still be recognised. Today the Ladyburn runs in a culvert. The three pieces of land have been amalgamated, and there is a bandstand and play area.
1922: The War Memorial
After the First World War every town and village set about planning a memorial, which involved raising money, choosing a site and commissioning a design. Cupar chose to create a memorial fitting not only those who lost their lives, but to its status as the county town of Fife.
The site chosen had originally been earmarked for the Old Gaol, and is very prominent. The monument was designed by John Kinross (1855-1931), an Edinburgh architect who also designed the memorials at Buckie and Montrose, and worked on the restoration of Falkland Palace in the 1890s. The bronze statue of a winged victory is by Henry Snell Gamley (1865-1928). Other bronzes by him include the war memorial at Montrose, a statue of Edward VII in the grounds of Holyrood Palace, and some of the figures on the front of the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
The memorial lists the names of 189 men who died in the First World War. It cost between £6,000 and £7,000, and was unveiled in 1922 by Field-Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, who had already received the Freedom of Cupar in 1919.
After the Second World War two short flanking pillars with bronze flames were added, commemorating a further 51 men and women who died in the service of their country. These pillars were unveiled by the Earl of Elgin in 1950.'
The sign can be found at the western end of the park, adjacent to the A91 road that runs through the centre of the town.