Dunbar Town Wall

NT67NE 9 6803 7877 to 6806 7880.

In 1925, when the RCAHMS East Lothian inventory (1924), nothing could be seen of any part of the old town-wall of Dunbar. In April 1951, however, information was received from Dr J S Richardson that a fragment had come to light at 24 High Street.

Miller (1859) quotes from the journal of a medical officer attached to the Duke of Cumberland's army in 1745. 'This Dunbar is a pretty large town, upon the Sea coast, and hath been fenced in with a stone-wall of great strength, though by the frequent batteries it hath of late years received, it is much impaired and gone to decay'. So too, Defoe, in his Tour published in 1769: 'This town of Dunbar hath been fenced in with a strong Stone Wall: but that is now decayed.

'Commenting on the first account Miller says: 'The 'strong stone-wall' alluded to, was probably less for martial purposes than to keep out predatory wanderers. Every town, however, had its ports or gates for the receipt of customs, etc. Three arches of the town gates were standing in 1768. The first stood at the east entry to the high-street, the second at the west end of the west-port; and the third on the North-side of the foot of the high-street, leading to the harbour. 'On the previous page he had mentioned: 'Among the old houses was a tenement called Bamburgh-castle, which latterly stood near the head of the high-street, but one time was probably detached. Tradition affirms that it had a subterraneous communication with the castle (NT67NE 8). This tenement and the lands adjoining, belonged to the Knights Templars'.

The newly discovered fragment was located in the close on the east side of Mr G Grant's premises at No.25 High Street: old residents refer to this close as Bamburgh's Close. About half-way down, the close is divided by a cross-house running from side to side parallel to the High Street, and comprising a basement, an upper floor and an attic. The walls are of red freestone, covered with harling and the roof is pantiled. The house was oblong in the first instance, and since it occupies the full width of the close, a pend runs under its north end for access to the part of the close farther east. North of the pend, and entered from it, there is a vaulted cellar lit from the gable and both sides. On the south side of the pend there was originally a singled vaulted cellar, entered from the east and lit from both sides; it is now divided into two. The primary part of the basement looks like sixteenth-century work. Later in this century, or possibly in the century following, at the south-east corner of the main block a wing was added in alinement with the south gable. Above the vaults the building has been modernised, and the only feature of special interest that has come to light is a section of a modelled plaster freize, late sixteenth or early seventeenth century in date. This was discovered in the existing lobby at the head of the modern forestair which leads to the upper floor.

Abutting the west side of the building, and in alinement with its south gable, there is a stretch of substantial walling still 18 feet high. Presumably this ran generally west to meet Miller's 'first town gate', not necessarily continuously but linking up the gables of intermediate buildings. Then abutting the east side of the cross-house and generally in alinement with the wall justmentioned, the much reduced remains of another wall run roughly east to Church Street, where there is a narrow gateway, once arched. Both stretches of walling are no doubt part of the 'stone-wall of great strength' seen in 1745. This 'stone-wall' would have been constructed at some time after 1503, when an Act of Parliament decreed that Forth seaports should build walls of stone and lime right down to the sea'.

G P H Watson 1952

Dunbar had a strong stone wall but was never mentioned as a fortified town of any importance. 'Three arches of the town gates were standing in 1768, which were partly removed when pipes were laid down to bring water into the town. The first stood at the east entry to the high street; the second at the west end of the west-port; and the third, on the northside of the foot of the high street, leading to the harbour'.

J Miller 1859

NT 6803 7877 - NT 6806 7880. The remains of Dunbar Town wall are as described above and have been considerably restored. They vary from 1.2 to 6.0 metres in height and are about 1.0 metre thick.

Visited by OS (DT) 28 August 1962

NT67NE 9 6803 7877

NT67NE 292 6803 7878 Bamburgh Castle, 23 High Street, Dunbar