Walkerton
Walkerton KGL S NO233012 1 105m
the Walkertoun 1599 RMS vi no. 927 [... ane strype that rynnis betuix the Walkertoun and the Royallie (Ryelaw) to the merche of Gaitmilk ...]
Wakerton 1642 Gordon MS Fife
Walkerton 1654 Blaeu (Gordon) Fife
Walkertoun de Gaitmilk 1679 Retours (Fife) no. 1172 [half of the fullers’ mill of Goatmilk (Gaitmilk), and the lands joined to it, in parish of Kinglassie]
South Walkerton 1856 OS 6 inch 1st edn. [not on the River Leven]
Walkerton Bleachfield 1856 OS 6 inch 1st edn.
Walkerton Mill 1856 OS 6 inch 1st edn. [‘(corn)’]
Walkerton 1928 OS 1 inch ‘Popular’ edn. [on south bank of River Leven]
Sc waulker + Sc toun
A waulker is a fuller, who cleanses and thickens cloth by beating after weaving, which perhaps explains the association with Bleachfield (1856), where another part of the cloth-preparation process was carried out. The process was mechanised using water-powered installations known as waulkmills.
On the River Leven there were two waulkmills near each other, one on the north bank, on the lands of Strathendry LSL, the other on the south bank, on the lands of Goatmilk KGL. The settlement attached to each of these mills bore the name of Walkerton, distinguished from each other by various affixes. For Walkerton LSL see PNF 2 s.n.
OS 6 inch 1856 has South Walkerton, Walkerton Bleachfield and South Walkerton Mill on the south side of the Leven. South Walkerton itself is away from the river, south-west of Milldeans, at NO237008.
This place-name appeared in printed volume 1