east-lothian-1924/05-187

Transcription

PRESTONKIRK.] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [PRESTONPANS.

East Linton carries the Edinburgh to Berwick
highway across the River Tyne at a point where
a cauld or weir is formed 70 yards above the
cascade falling into the Linn Pool. The
structure lies north-west and south-east and
has a length of 125 feet borne on two arches
over a waterway 90 feet broad. The roadway
now averages 16 feet in width, but it has
been widened on the south and further enlarged
by the introduction of impending parapets.
The arches are segmental and bear four
massive ribs on their soffits. The mean span is
39 1/2 feet. The present width of soffit is 13 feet
10 inches, but the original width of the soffits
was 10 1/2 feet. From each side of the central pier
projects a cut-water with a spreading basement
course carried up originally to the level of the
roadway but now truncated. At the abutments
are successive buttresses, on the south-east
carried up to the parapet as refuges. The
parapets are comparatively modern ; they
diverge at either end of the bridge to increase
the width of the approaches. A keystone on
one arch is inscribed with the date 1763, pre-
sumably the date of a reconstruction. The
structure evidently dates from the 16th century
and is in good condition.

HISTORICAL NOTE.-Linton Bridge was the
lowest convenient crossing on the Tyne and
an important link in all military and civil
communications via E. Lothian. Somerset
brought his force across here in 1547 : on
Wednesday 7 Sept. they " came to a fayre
ryuer callen Lyn . . . ouer this riuer is ther
a stone bridge that they name Lynton brig,
of a toun . . . that stonds upon the same ryuer.
Our horsmen and cariages past through the
water (for it was not very depe) ; our footmen
ouer the bridge. The passage was very
straight for an army, and therefore the lengar
in setting ouer."1 In Sept. 1549 when the
English were preparing to evacuate Haddington
it was reported by spies that the French
" have overthrown Lynton bridge and are
rasing it, and entrenching that passage to
stop us. We cannot otherwise pass for the
abundance of water ' as the like hath byn
seldom sen."2 But on March 31, 1560, Lord
Grey with an English force wrote from "Linton-
briggs," saying "We are now at Lintern (sic)
briggis etc."3 So it must have been recon-
structed, as indeed was imperative.

100

1 Patten's Expedicion into Scotlande, p. 37 ;
2 Scot. Pap. i., p. 180 ; 3 Ibid. No. 705.

vi. S.W. 11 July 1913.

152. Graveslab at Smeaton House.-A grave-
slab 7 inches thick, 5 feet 8 inches in length,
1 foot 4 inches in width at top and tapering to
1 foot 1 inch at base is erected on a modern base
on a lawn at Smeaton House. The field is re-
cessed, leaving in relief a margin around the
edges, a central cross flanked by a pair of shears
and a sword with depressed quillons, straight
grip and spear-shaped pommel.
Above the sword is a cross botony also in
relief within a roundel, and on either side of the
central-cross shaft is a panel. The large cross
head is floriated ; the shaft, 2 1/2 inches wide,
is set on a mount resembling an inverted
chalice.
The slab dates from the 15th century and
was unearthed during the formation of a new
entrance to the grounds of Smeaton through
land adjoining the parish church.

vi. S.W. 11 July 1913.

153. St. Baldred's Well.-Some 50 yards
east of the Church (No. 144) under an over-
hanging bank 20 feet back from the river is a
muddy spring known locally as St. Baldred's
Well, but the name is also applied to another
well, still used by the cottages, which lies
beside the footpath leading to the haugh.

vi. S.W. 11 July 1913.

The O.S. map indicates the following sites:-

154. Chapel, Waughton Castle. v. N.E.

155. Graveyard, Waughton Castle. v. N.E.

PRESTONPANS.

CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC STRUCTURES.

156. Preston Tower.-This tower (fig. 150),
which is mainly a 15th century structure, stands
within an enclosure about 1/4 mile north of
Prestonpans railway station. It is L-shaped on
plan (fig. 151) and measures over all 34 feet
from north to south and 39 feet 6 inches from
east to west; the re-entering angle faces west.
The walls, 6 feet 9 inches thick in the main