A TEAM from the 1722 Waggonway Project have undertaken a geophysical study of Cockenzie Harbour, thanks to funding from Historic Environment Scotland (HES), to learn what lies beneath the surface.
The team took on the survey at the end of last month, learning about the built history of the area as well as discovering some unknowns about the harbour’s past.
The 1722 Waggonway Project is a community heritage project run by the 1722 Waggonway Heritage Group, which was created to interpret, preserve and enhance the route and associated industries and environments of Scotland’s first railway.
The team were guided by archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology, volunteers and local residents to learn what lay beneath their feet.
They were looking for features which could shed more light on the early industries of the area, with the construction of the harbour itself, nearly 200 years ago, being of particular interest.
Results from the harbour structure gave indications of how the internal parts of the quaysides were built, with the recently discovered Stevenson plans (National Library of Scotland) from 1829 to 1841 being useful in matching and evaluating the data collected.
However, results from the quayside on the eastern side of the harbour revealed that an older structure was hidden within the current quayside.
This confirmed the project team’s view that an earlier harbour or quayside was still present prior to the Robert Stevenson rebuild in the 1830s.
This earlier structure likely dates back to the late 16th or early 17th century, from the very beginnings of Cockenzie as a burgh.
Ed Bethune, 1722 Waggonway Project chair, commented on the success of the survey work.
Mr Bethune said: “In a very short space of time, we have furthered our knowledge of the way Cockenzie Harbour was constructed, and now have a much better idea of what lies beneath the surfaces of the quaysides and surrounding areas.
“It’s really important information about an historic part of the town, and adds hugely to our understanding of the timeline of its development, and it’s wonderful that our volunteers could learn new skills and engage with likeminded people at the same time.
“Huge thanks to HES, Wessex Archaeology, East Lothian Council and all the volunteers for making this success.”
The Waggonway Project team are planning further excavations at the harbour.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here