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Summary

Description

No 1, probably 17th century with later alterations. 2-storey (now with attic) 4-bay cottage. Harled. Base course.

S (MUSSELBURGH ROAD, PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 4 bays regularly disposed at 1st floor (formerly with timber 19th century architraves). Later porch to centre between 2nd and 3rd bays with boarded door. Ground floor otherwise blank except door to outer left; door to outer right removed in 1988.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: irregularly disposed bays. Windows at 1st floor breaking eaves. Modern glazed door to outer left, window at 1st floor; window to 2nd bay, blank at 1st floor; modern glazed door at ground and window at 1st floor of 3rd bay; window in 4th bay, ground, window to right at 1st floor; window at ground, 5th bay; window to each floor, outer right.

12-pane timber sash and case windows to S elevation; variety of windows to rear, 4-pane, 8-pane, 12-pane timber sash and case windows with 6-pane timber hinged window at 1st floor, bay to outer right. Grey graded slate roofs, with steeper, earlier pitch to rear and raised to cover each window at 1st floor; modern rooflights to right of S elevation, 2 to rear. Diamond-section wallhead stacks to gables with dentilled coping and circular stacks. Wallheads either side of bay to outer left, to rear with brick dentilled coping; formerly tall stacks flanking door to centre of S elevation.

INTERIOR: ground floor possibly once vaulted; stone and timber-clad stair to 1st floor; shutters in place and working; most original timber beams in place and also mud with straw bonding wall dividing attic space.

BOUNDARY WALLS: mainly rubble boundary walls to rear.

REAR GARDEN: vaults under garden to area near house. Little evidence of salt pans, except bath stone bricks; outbuildings to W.

Statement of Special Interest

This building was originally constructed as part of the salt pans which have stood on this site for many centuries. According to Baird, "the oldest pans at Magdalene Bridge were dependants of Kelso Abbey. Joppa Salt Pans are of more recent origin, and date from the beginning of the 17th century...We have reason to believe, however, that the pans were built by David Preston before 1635." (p 25). Due to the high taxes imposed upon salt, it was a lucrative trade to be in and led to a certain degree of smuggling across the border, as the salt could be sold for even higher prices. "At the end of last century, from 1788 till 1808, the salt works belonging to the Earl of Abercorn in the parish were leased by Mr John Thomson of Priorlatham at a rental of ?90 per annum....Under the management of Messrs Alex. Nisbet and Son, who entered in occupation of the works after the late Mr John Grieve some thirty years ago, the works were enlarged and improved. They were in 1889 bought over by the Scottish Salt Company..." (p 27). No 2 (now much altered), the adjacent building to the E, was built in later 19th century for the owner of the pans and possibly the alterations to the cottage were then made, i.e. the alteration to the pitch of the roof, so making the 1st floor lie under the line of the eaves (originally it would have been like the rear), and the wallhead stacks to the gableheads (formerly there were also pitch stacks flanking the centre bays, which have subsequently removed). The cottage was possibly then used as accommodation for the workers and certainly was made into flatted accommodation at some point. There is some evidence that the roof may at one point have been pantiled rather than slated as now. The present owner believes that it had once been used as a hunting lodge by the Earl of Abercorn. No 1 is clearly an important building within local history.

References

Bibliography

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