Editing Methil (section)

==Overview==
[[File:Pre-Ref Methil Church.jpg|thumb|Site of the pre-Reformation Methil Parish Church, now part of Methilmill Cemetery.]]
[[File:Kirkland HS.jpg|thumb|Kirkland High School, taken shortly before demolition in 2016.]]

Prior to the Reformation when Methil was absorbed into the Parish of Wemyss, it was an independent parish centred around a church situated inland of what is now Methilmill Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Place-Names of Fife: West Fife between Leven and Forth |volume=I |last=Taylor |first=Simon |publisher=Shaun Tyas |location=Donington |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-900289-77-1 |pages=593–595}}</ref> In the 17th century, it developed as a coastal village, first with a tidal harbour, thereafter expanding considerably at the start of the 20th century due to a boom in coal mining.

From 1920 the development of (mainly) council housing caused the town to expand inland to meet up with the formerly separate village of Methilhill and reach the boundaries of Methilmill Cemetery and the site of the ancient parish church.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://rsmith617.wixsite.com/methil-history|title=History of Methil|last=Smith|first=Ronald}}</ref>

Historically, the main industry in the area was coal mining, with most of the coal exported through [[Methil Docks]], which exported over 3,000,000 tons per year between the WW1 and WW2.<ref name="heritage">{{Cite web|url=http://www.methilheritage.org.uk/content/pages/methil-docks.php|title=Methil Docks|publisher=Methil Heritage|access-date=24 April 2016}}</ref>  A related development was [[Methil power station|Methil Power Station]] (1960), which was sited at the mouth of the River Leven. It was eventually demolished in 2011. This power station used [[Coal slurry|colliery slurry]], which would otherwise have gone to waste.

Nearby is the new [[Bayview Stadium]], home to [[East Fife F.C.|East Fife Football Club]], previously located more centrally in the town at the corner of Wellesley and Kirkland Roads.<ref name=":0" />