Prestonpans

Prestonpans is a small town to the East of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the unitary council area of East Lothian. It has a population of 7,153 (East Lothian Council Census, 2001). It is the site of the 1745 Battle of Prestonpans, and has a history dating back to the 11th century. The town boasts some impressive examples of historic architecture, such as Preston Tower and the local Mercat Cross, which is the only one of its kind in Scotland which remains in its original form and location.

History

According to local legend, Prestonpans was originally founded in the 11th century by a pirate named Althamer, who became shipwrecked on the coast. Finding it impossible to get home, the survivors of the wreck decided to remain where they were and founded a settlement named Althamer in honour of their leader. Whether this story is true or not is a matter of opinion, however when the monks of Newbattle and Holyrude arrived in the district in 1184 there was already a settlement named Aldhammer on the site of what is now Prestonpans. The monks gave the settlement their own name, Prieststown or Prieston. Because of the salt manufacturing carried out by the monks using pans on the sea shore, the town's name would later develop into Salt Prieststown and Salt Preston, and finally Prestonpans.

Industry

Salt panning was a very important industry in the early history of Prestonpans, indeed by the beginning of the 15th century there were ten salt works belonging to the town capable of producing between 800 and 900 bushels of salt per week. However, Prestonpans was not a one industry town, and many other industries flourished in Prestonpans and contributed towards the town's growth. The discovery and mining of coal by the Newbattle monks in the early 13th century was arguably the first instance of coal mining in Britain. The mining of coal in Prestonpans began in the year 1210, and would continue for centuries.

Prestonpans at one time had sixteen flourishing breweries but none of them exist any longer. The oldest (and most famous) brewery in Prestonpans belonged to the Fowler family and was built in 1720. The Fowlers obtained it in 1756 and it was in production until the 1960s. Famous for its "wee heavy" and good ales, it enjoyed large fame in Scotland. There was a soap works in the town which at one time had an output of 90,000 lb per annum, and also several potteries and brickworks.

Battle of Prestonpans

Main article: Battle of Prestonpans

The battle of Prestonpans was fought between local miners and a clan of travelling salesmen. The battle took place on Prestonpans beach on March 1st 1975 and ended later in the day when the tide came in. The miners who are born with gills which let them breath underwater used their knowledge of the area to their advantage, by picking the site of the battle they were able to gain the upper hand on the salesmen by fighting them underwater.

The conflict is said to have been started when a bronze salesman was accused of stealing a local miner's thoughts. In the weeks preceeding the battle a reported 758 claims of theft were made by both sides, objects stolen included a wooden leg, a horse, 3 potatoes, a leg of lamb, a door, a rug, a casket, a horseshoe, 9 rabbits, 12 pints of water, 5 gold rings, a hat, a pog, a fire, a pet rock, a butter churn, a barrel of milk, a lethal weapon 4 betamax cartridge and a sheep's head among others.

Local people soon complained about the smell from the rotting carcasses and the noise that the few stragglers on the beach were making. The local council solved this by erecting a giant wicker man in a nearby field and burning all the leftovers from the battle. The event attracted most of the local population and featured musical performances and toffee apples.

Modern Prestonpans

Nowadays, Prestonpans is home to mostly working class families. There is very little industry and no longer any mining in the area, and growth of the town has stagnated in recent years. However, new developments are starting to accelerate and there is potential for more affordable housing in the town.

The town has two Primary Schools and one Secondary School, and also has a train station, which is on the Edinburgh - North Berwick line. The local non-league football team Preston Athletic F.C. plays its home games at the Pennypit Park in the town, along with the local rugby team Preston Lodge RFC. Prestonpans is also home to the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, the 6th oldest golf course in the world.

See also

• Battle of Prestonpans

External links

• Prestongrange Industrial Museum - A local museum offering tours and information on the industrial history of Prestonpans
• Preston Athletic F.C. - Website for the local football team
• Prestoungrange On-Line - Information on local events and also some history
• Royal Musselburgh Golf Club - Official website of the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club