Musselburgh High Street

Category

Library Item

Item no

2182

Title

Musselburgh High Street

Description

People and horse-drawn carts are on a cobblestone road. Houses and shops are at either side of the road, amongst these buildings is one with a clock tower. On a side street children stand in front of a wooden barrier.

Artist / maker

Morham, George

Date

1885

Size

14.5 x 20.8 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The town of Musselburgh is situated at the mouth of the river Esk, roughly 6 miles to the east of central Edinburgh. The site was inhabited as far back as the 1st century AD when the Romans built a fort and a bridge crossing the river here. The town takes its name from the mussel beds located in the river mouth. These have provided a long-standing source of income for the town's residents. Musselburgh is home to a famous racecourse established in 1816. The town's tolbooth dates from 1590. The nearby mercat cross, an historic focal point for commercial activity and town events, dates from the 18th century.

The word cobble has been used here to help with searching, an alternative term is sett. Sett stones describe both the type of stone and the method in which they are used.

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Related images

Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Clocks and clock towers

Places > Scotland > East Lothian

Transport > Infrastructure > Cobbled streets

Transport > Infrastructure > Roads

Transport > Infrastructure > Streets

Transport > Land > Horse and carts

(55°56′35″N, 3°2′52″W)

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