Archaeology Notes

Event ID 713358

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/713358

NT37SW 5.00 34076 72537

NT37SW 5.01 c. 3406 7254 gatehouse (possible)

For (successor) New Bridge (NT 34223 72642), see NT37SW 81.

(NT 3407 7254) Old Bridge (NR)

OS 6" map (1958)

Old Bridge [NR]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1989.

Old Bridge [NAT]

OS (GIS) AIB, April 2006.

NMRS REFERENCE

Non-Guardianship Sites Plan Collection, DC28380- DC28391, 1954 & 1956.

Architect: Believed to be originally of Roman workmanship. (3 arches 50 feet wide)

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Musselburgh Old Bridge, of 3 arches, with cut-waters, measuring 248' in length by c. 14' over the parapets. It may well have been built, as is traditionally said, by Jane, Lady Seton, who died in 1558. It may incorporate part of a stone bridge that was certainly standing in 1547, supposing this to have been subsequently damaged or destroyed, as might have occurred, for example, in 1548, when Musselburgh was burned by the English. Stirling records that during repairs in 1809, 'the face of one of the buttresses' was opened up and 'inside the outer building, remains of still older masonry resting on transverse oaken beams was found.'

An act was passed for the repair of a bridge at Musselburgh in 1597; it was again before parliament in 1625 and 1639, and repairs are mentioned frequently in Town Council records of the 17th century and later.

RCAHMS 1929, visited 1920; A Graham 1965.

As described.

Visited by OS (BS) 14 August 1975 .

The early 16th century Old Bridge [over the Esk] has three arches, refuges over the cutwaters, and stairs at each end.

C McWilliam 1978.

A watching brief was carried out during the excavation of an engineering trial pit over the centre arch of the medieval bridge. The pit showed that all old road surfaces had been removed and replaced with modern concrete and sand over the original stone bridge structure.

Sponsor: Jones Solas Partnership

M Collard 1992.

This bridge crosses the River Esk within the area of the town of Musselburgh (NT37SW 409). The location assigned to this record defines the centre of the structure, which apparently extends from NT c. 34064 72548 to NT c. 34097 72510.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 26 April 2006.