Prestongrange Community Archaeological Project

Prestongrange Community Achaelogy Project

PRESTONGRANGE INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE

Setting the Scene

Historical research undertaken by Dr Richard Oram has confirmed the sheer wealth of industrially related documentation relating to Prestongrange. It is clear that the 18th century industrial development of glass and pottery manufacture was totally dependent on the presence of a harbour. The need for a ready supply of raw materials, such as sand, quartz or flint and potash for glass manufacture. For the pottery industry china clay was brought from Devon and flint (used for glaze) from the home counties of England . The presence of cheap coal allowed the glass and pottery industry to expand. The coal industry of the estate of Prestongrange was revitalised by the sinking of a new deep shaft close to the site of the pottery in 1829 (Anderson 2003). The surviving Cornish beam engine stands testimony to the amount of wealth invested in these early operations. Alongside the expanding coal industry the bye-products, namely fire-clay removed from the pit provided the necessary material for the refractory industry to expand, a complex that developed with small scotch kilns, through to the more efficient bee-hive and hoffman kilns.

Against this back-drop of industrial expansion, Morrison's Haven eventually developed into a mechanised working harbour, and throughout its working life it was subjected to alterations, repair and improvement until its eventual abandonment in the early 20 th century. Its demise was helped by the rapid development of deep berths at the Port of Leith and the mechanised coal-handling facilities such as that at Granton harbour where thousands of tons of Scottish coal was exported each year up until the mid-20 th century (Hannay-Thompson 1937).

[photograph: black and white photograph of beehive brick kilns

Beehive kilns fires prestongrange bricks at 1,450 degrees C

[photograph: black and white photgraph of Prestongrange colliery buildings

The colliery nearby supplied the coal to fire the kilns.

This is a long-term project, with three initial phases:

Phase One - 2004 Season

• Historical research; site walk-over; topographical survey of Morrison's Haven.
• Exploratory evaluation of a former glassworks and pottery site.
• Exploratory evaluation of a possible building associated with
Ravenshaugh House.
• Construction of a website and dissemination of the 2004 results through a series of public lectures presented as part of the PCAP Weekend and East Lothian Archaeology Week
• Compilation of a desk based assessment.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PDF DOCUMENT.
(1.59mb download - opens new window)
• Compilation of an interim data structure report
• Maintain a photographic and video record of the project.

Phase Two - 2005 Season

• 2005 Season –archaeological evaluation of the former glassworks and pottery site
• Archaeological evaluation of a possible tollhouse site
• Archaeological investigation for the remains of a fort
• Possible geophysical investigation for the remains of a fort
• Further historical research by co-ordinated task groups
• Maintenance of the website
• Maintain a photographic and video record of the project
• Site open days and exhibition.

Phase Three - 2006 Season

• Post-excavation analyses
• Final data structure report
• Further archaeological research depending on the results of 2005.

volunteer lying on his side carefully cleaning a layer of bricks

Carefull excavation by volunteers of an old brick floor.

two men in a trench measuring a wall and drawing it

Volunteers produce a detailed measured plan of the features at the Tollbooth.

What remains of the sites today

The pottery site was cleared probably during the late 19th early 20th century and the land was developed as a row of miners houses and drying greens. The houses were cleared in the late 1960's and during the late 1970s the land was planted with trees. Today the site of the pottery is overgrown with woodland.

Morison's Haven is partly visible but the bulk of the site remains buried under tons of industrial colliery waste.

Fully cleaned and ready for a photo!! Remains of the harbour wall at Morrison's Haven.

Plan of Morrison's Haven produced after survey by volunteers. Click here for a larger view (opens new window)

Why was CFA brought in

CFA's Project Design was selected by East Lothian council as being the most suitable design in providing the volunteers with suitable archaeological training. CFA's past record in dealing with industrial heritage sites and a well established out-reach policy made CFA the best choice to direct the PCAP.

pottery being ashed in a bowl with a toothbrush

Washing pottery on site.

two smashed pots that have been glued back together

Conserved and reasembled. Typical pottery recovered from Prestongrange.

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from PCAP Interactive