Excavation

Date November 2008 - November 2009

Event ID 633676

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/633676

NT 404 744 The site of the Battle of Prestonpans is situated E of Edinburgh. The battle, fought on the 21 September 1745, was the first of the ’45 rebellion and a dramatic Jacobite victory. Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was present at the battle, leading his army of plaid-clad Highlanders against the redcoats of General John Cope.

The Battle of Prestonpans Community Archaeology Project was the first investigation to focus on the archaeology of this important battle. The aim of the project was to investigate the extent and survival of the battlefield, as much of it has been destroyed by housing and industrial development. The involvement of volunteers was an important part of the project and they provided assistance during excavation, metal detector survey, and by recounting local folklore and offering up their gardens for investigation.

The project which ran from November 2008–November 2009 included the targeted investigation of areas which

formed the battlefield and involved a systematic metal detector survey and excavation. Excavation in the grounds of Prestonpans Community Centre aimed to recover any evidence that might establish the position and condition of the former Preston House (NT37SE 1), which was extant during the battle. Geophysics and evaluation trenches identified traces of foundations, but all stone had been removed by 19th-century robber trenches. Fragments of 18th-century brick and slate were recovered, as were two 18th- to 19th-century

uniform buttons relating to the Mary Murray Institute, built in the grounds of the then ruinous Preston House.

The metal detector survey was undertaken with the assistance of members from the Scottish Artefact Recovery Group and the Scottish Detector Club. Areas selected for metal detecting included a field E of Bankton House, for evidence of the rout (NT37SE 43.00), but due to industrial contamination no conclusive results were produced. A field N of Tranent church was selected for evidence of skirmishing prior to the battle (NT47SW 8). This produced some post-medieval finds but nothing that could be associated with the battle. A geophysical survey was carried out to determine if at some time the enclosure around the church had been

reduced in size, a possibility suggested by the presence of carved stone and some human bone fragments on the surface. The main area of the metal detector survey was on fields either side of the 18th-century wagonway (NT47SW 35.00), which was thought to mark the location of the 1st engagement between the Government and Jacobite forces. Industrial contamination from local coal mining was a factor in the low recovery of artefacts (three musket balls and one pistol ball). However, the lack of material associated with the battle suggested that this was not the core of the battlefield as had previously been suggested. Metal detector

survey in fields surrounding Seton Mains Farm, c800m E of the original core area, recovered signature material in a distribution pattern representative of 18th-century warfare. The artefact assemblage included musket balls, pistol balls, and grapeshot, as well as musket accessories, such as a ramrod head.

Archive: GUARD. Report: East Lothian Council

Funder: Heritage Lottery Fund and Battle of Prestonpans 1745 Heritage Trust

Tony Pollard and Natasha Ferguson – Centre for Battlefield Archaeology, University of Glasgow