Morrison's Haven

NT37SE 83 372 737.

A village existed at Morrison's Haven, though the date of its origin is unknown. It is marked on Adair's map of 1682, and a weekly market and yearly fair were authorised in 1701. A small two-storeyed house with crow-stepped gables and cavetto skew-puts, which stands just S of fort NT37SE 23, is most probably a survivor from this village; it originally contained three storeys, but the lower one has been engulfed through the raising of the level of the ground.

A Graham 1964

Site recorded during a rapid coastal survey undertaken by GUARD of the S shore of the Firth of Forth from Dunbar to Stirling and along the N shore of the Forth to the Fife border. A gazetteer of all sites including listed buildings, designed landscapes, scheduled and unscheduled monuments was produced. Full details of the survey can be consulted in the report held by the NMRS.

NT 372 737 Village

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

GUARD 1996.

The village at Morrison's Haven is marked on Adair's map of 1682, and a weekly market and yearly fair were authorised in 1701. By 1853 the Ordnance Survey Map shows only a saw mill at the harbour and a school and brick and tile works inland. The two storey crow stepped gabled house described by Graham in 1964 is no longer visible. However the ruins of a substantial stone built building do exist in the gardens of the modern bungalows to the south of the new road (NT 37 73). All four walls survive and the west wall survives to gable height but is not crow stepped .

Site recorded by GUARD during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, 'The Firth of Forth from Dunbar to the Coast of Fife' 1996.

The Prestongrange Community Archaeology Project (PCAP) has completed its first season of work at the Prestongrange Industrial Museum. Volunteer projects included the partial excavation of two stone breakwaters at Morrison's Haven. A desk-based assessment, aerial and topographic survey were also undertaken across the site to assess how much of the haven survives in comparison to early cartographic sources.

Archaeological trial trenching and test pitting were carried out on the site of a former pottery and glassworks in order to identify any structural remains associated with these industries. Finds include unstratified pottery sherds and glass waste. Preliminary results suggest that the site has been affected by later industrial development. A video diary was maintained throughout the project and formed a central component of the PCAP exhibition and open day held in September 2004.

A second season of work will include further historical research and trial trenching.

Report lodged with East Lothian SMR.

Sponsor: HLF.

M Cressey 2004

NT 371 736 The project has completed its second season of work at Prestongrange Industrial Museum between March and October 2005 (DES 2004, 46; www.prestongrange.org/pcap/). Archaeological trial trenching was carried out on the site of a former 18th-century pottery and 17th-century glassworks.

A vaulted structure was found to have been re-used as a WW2 air-raid shelter. The vault was originally part of an air flue designed to draw air into a glass kiln. No structural remains associated with the kiln itself were found. In all probability this structure has been cleared leaving only the subterranean air flue. Two discrete dumps of 18th-century pottery sherds and saggers were found within its ruined walls.

Work elsewhere on the site uncovered the remains of wall footings that post-dated the vaulted structure. The preliminary results confirm several phases of building possibly associated with a later pottery.

Interim reports lodged with East Lothian SMR.

Sponsor: HLF.

M Cressey 2005