Memories of the Mars

Written by Ena Scott (nee Gleig) in 1989. Ena was born in 1912 and lived nearly all her life in Woodhaven and Wormit. She grew up at Woodhaven farmhouse which looked out on the Mars Training Ship, moored off Woodhaven Pier until its departure in 1929.

When a squad of workers was required on the farm, the Mars Boys from the Training Ship were called in. The Mars Ship , an old man of war, similar to the Unicorn was a school afloat where orphan boys and boys from poor homes or split families were sent. They got a good sound education and naval training. They came ashore for classes each day such as joinery, tailoring and gardening. The Mars Sheds stood where the present boating club stores their boats. They had their own swimming pool where they were all taught to swim and trained in life saving. On the night the first Tay Bridge fell the boys made a valiant effort to see if they could find anyone. The ship was moored around 1/4 mile from Woodhaven Pier in 1869 and left in June 1929 to be taken to Inverkeithing for salvage.

Before the ship came to the Tay, there was a granary at Woodhaven used by the ferries and this was turned into the Mars Hospital, where a very kind maternal lady called Miss Graham and 2 sisters by the name of Stobie, administered to the boys and were very well liked.

In the (Woodhaven) farm garden was a Walnut Tree which had grown so high that there was a fear it might fall and cause an accident on the main road. The Mars boys were asked to take it down carefully without mishap or breaking walls or other trees, which they did, and they were given the tree for work in the woodwork classes and many pieces of furniture made from this tree are still in many local homes.

The boys also helped my father when potatoes had to be lifted and when the travelling threshing mill came – twice each year. To feed them, my mother made a huge pot of broth with boiling beef. Each boy received his plate of broth with plenty of plain white bread, followed by the boiled beef with plenty of tattles and neeps and of course milk to drink. They were not accustomed to such large helpings but they could not leave anything and they used to stuff potatoes up their jumpers! After the mid-day break several boys were missing and were found with full tummies in the hayloft fast asleep.

The Captain usually lived ashore in Mars Cottage which had previously been the Woodhaven Inn for travellers going to and from the ferries. The gardener for Mars Cottage, Andrew Duff, lived in the quaintest little pink harled cottage which in former days had been the toll house (almost opposite the bottom of Flass Road). I was so sad when that house was demolished.

See Ena’s Memories of Woodhaven Farm.