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Edinburgh, Leith Docks, East Old Dock, Dock Entrance
No Class (Event)
Site Name Edinburgh, Leith Docks, East Old Dock, Dock Entrance
Classification No Class (Event)
Alternative Name(s) Rennie's Entrance
Canmore ID 110518
Site Number NT27NE 57.09
NGR NT 2699 7670
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/110518
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
NT27NE 57.09 2699 7670
See also NT27NE 57.33.
NT 2699 7670 A watching brief was carried out as part of a grant of Scheduled Monument Consent for trial pitting and construction on the N side of the lock built by John Rennie between 1800-06 as the entrance to his East Old Dock (now infilled). The work revealed details of the construction and engineering of the lock, in particular the cantilever arrangement of the bases of the lock-gate winches in relation to the N wall of the lock, with which they were integral.
Sponsor: Morrison Homes Ltd.
M A Collard 1996.
Only the East Dock entrance (NT27NE 57.33) can now be seen of the Rennie's Old Docks at Leith. The West and East Old Docks (NT27NE 57.32 and NT27NE 57.41 respectively) were apparently infilled by 1974, when their area is indicated as an open space on the OS 1:1250 map. This area is now occupied by the Victoria Quay building (NT27NE 861) of the Scottish Executive (formerly Scottish Office).
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 14 February 2006.
Construction (1800 - 1806)
Watching Brief (1996)
NT 2699 7670 A watching brief was carried out as part of a grant of Scheduled Monument Consent for trial pitting and construction on the N side of the lock built by John Rennie between 1800-06 as the entrance to his East Old Dock (now infilled). The work revealed details of the construction and engineering of the lock, in particular the cantilever arrangement of the bases of the lock-gate winches in relation to the N wall of the lock, with which they were integral.
Sponsor: Morrison Homes Ltd.
M A Collard 1996.
Note (14 February 2006)
Only the East Dock entrance (NT57NE 57.33) can now be seen of the Rennie's Old Docks at Leith. The West and East Old Docks (NT27NE 57.32 and NT27NE 57.41 respectively) were apparently infilled by 1974, when their area is indicated as an open space on the OS 1:1250 map. This area is now occupied by the Victoria Quay building (NT27NE 861) of the Scottish Executive (formerly Scottish Office).
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 14 February 2006.
Project (2007)
This project was undertaken to input site information listed in 'Civil engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' by R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Publication Account (2009)
The impressive entrance lock of 1806 to the East and West Docks is 145 ft long by 34 ft wide and 23 ft deep and similar to the entrance from the Thames to London Docks of about the same date, also engineered by Rennie.
R Paxton and J Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission of Thomas Telford Publishers.
