Trinity Chain Pier

Category

Library Item

Item no

4783

Title

Trinity Chain Pier

Description

The chain pier at Trinity stands in the water on tall wooden supports. Two wooden huts can be seen at the end of the pier. In the background two steam ships can be seen.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1898

Size

15.6 x 21.1 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The Old Chain Pier was built in 1821 and sited between Granton and Newhaven harbours. It was formerly known as Newhaven Chain Pier and used by pleasure steamers in the Firth of Forth. It was all but destroyed in a storm in October 1898 and was never rebuilt. The booking office in Trinity Crescent remained undamaged though and still exists today as the Old Chain Pier public house.

Trinity is an area of Edinburgh situated immediately to the west of Newhaven.

Newhaven was founded by James IV in 1504 as a royal dockyard. It became an important fishing village, famous initially for oysters and later herring. An indoor fish market was built there in 1896. Newhaven fishwives, with their distinctive striped clothes, sold their goods around Edinburgh. David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson famously photographed these fishwives and other Newhaven residents in the 1840's. The area now has a population of roughly five thousand.

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Related subjects

Landscape > Land > Islands

Landscape > Water > Rivers and streams

Places > Edinburgh areas > Leith

Places > Edinburgh areas > Trinity

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Piers and wharves

Transport > Water > Ships