east lothian Archaeology & Local History Fortnight 30 August - 15 September 2014 Heritage on your doorstep Be part of Scottish Archaeology Month www.eastlothian.gov.uk/archaeology East Lothian Archaeology Disabled access & Local History Fortnight No disabled access Partial disabled access is organised annually by East Lothian Council’s Archaeology Service. To find out more about what A Primarily for adults/ 16+ we do, and about other events held throughout the F Family event year visit www.eastlothian.gov.uk/archaeology Sturdy footwear/ This fortnight is part of Scottish Archaeology Month, appropriate clothing held annually in September by Archaeology Scotland. Please note no dogs, To find out about events held throughout Scotland except guide dogs. visit www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk For more information about events at Historic Scotland properties visit www.historic-scotland.gov.uk and for events at National Trust for Scotland properties visit www.nts.org.uk The John Gray Centre in Haddington brings together the library, archives, museum, and local history centre, and its website provides an opportunity to search archaeology, museums, and archive records for East Lothian: www.johngraycentre.org Booking is essential for many of the events Where booking is required call 01620 827408 or email [email protected] unless otherwise indicated. JOINING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE GIVEN ON BOOKING. Saturday 30 August Sunday 31 August 10.30am–4.30pm A F 2–3.30pm A F Family History Day St Andrew's Church: John Gray Centre, Haddington Past, Present & Future Launching this year’s Archaeology & Local St Andrew’s Church, Kirk Ports, North Berwick History Fortnight, our theme this year is A look at the church, its history, and future World War One and East Lothian’s military plans for its preservation. Learn about some past. Join us for workshops on researching of the people commemorated on the ancestors who were in the armed services, gravestones. This event is provided by related talks, behind the scenes tours and North Berwick Historical Research Society. sessions on using our research resources, as well as children’s activities and storytelling, Booking required. Free event, donations to and a Star Speaker in the Star Room. the church restoration fund gratefully received. Free drop-in event, but booking required for workshops: Please call 01620 820 695 or email [email protected] Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information visit: www.johngraycentre.org/events Sunday 31 August Tuesday 2 September 2–3pm A F 1–3pm A F Hailes Castle Man at Arms Trenches by Tranent Guided tour of Hailes Castle A circular walk between Tranent and Fa’side A Douglas Man at Arms and a Hepburn knight Castle taking in the locations of some will lead this guided tour of Hailes Castle. East Lothian WWI remains as well as other Hear horrible stories of the siege by Hotspur archaeological and historical sites, including Percy and Lord Dunbar, the counter assault prehistoric enclosures, restored towerhouses by the Douglases as well as the fall of the and a medieval mine! This walk affords some Hepburn family. extensive views which help put the remains Booking required. Free event. into their landscape context. It follows quiet There is limited parking at the Castle, but it roads and farm tracks which can be steep in is accessible by footpath along the river from places. It will be guided by a member of East Linton, a pleasant 1.5 miles walk, or from East Lothian Council Archaeology service. Pencraig Hill, about a 1 mile walk. Booking required. Cost: £4 Details provided on booking. Cover: Hailes Castle, by AM Photography Inset image: Re-enactment of Cromwell’s seige of Tantallon, by Pauline King 3 Friday 5 September Saturday 6 September 10am–12noon 11am–1pm A Trenches by Tranent Aberlady Heritage: See Tuesday 2 September Talk and Guided Walk The Kirk Stables, Main Street, Aberlady Saturday 6 September Ian Malcolm of the local history society will give an illustrated talk on key elements of Aberlady's history, followed by a guided walk 9am–3.30pm A (weather permitting) to the remains of the medieval harbour and to the site of the now Hidden Histories Weekend: closed smugglers cave. If the weather is good, Medieval East Lothian and bring a packed lunch. the St Mary’s Church As some of the walk will be on a rocky and sometimes muddy foreshore, sensible footwear Haddington Project is recommended. The walk element is not St Mary’s Church, Haddington suitable for disabled. Booking required. Cost: £4 2–3pm A F Dirleton Castle Man at Arms Guided Tour of Dirleton Castle A series of talks by experts and enthusiasts will give an insight into medieval life in East Lothian through recent archaeological work at important sites such as Haddington Abbey, Yester Castle, Auldhame, Garleton Castle, Eldbottle, the monastic estates, Flodden and the battles of East Lothian. An introduction will be given on the proposed project to examine and record both the structural evolution and history of St Mary’s Church, to better understand the complex Hear bloodthirsty stories of castle life and siege nature of the church and the times through warfare with the Monument Manager dressed which it survived. as a chain-mailed Man at Arms. Booking required. Cost £5 Booking required. Cost included in admission For more information visit: price to the Castle. For more information visit: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/archaeology www.historic-scotland.gov.uk 4 Sunday 7 September 12noon–4pm A F 1–4pm A F Arms at the Ready! Hidden Histories Weekend: Dirleton Castle Archaeology at Work St Mary’s Church, Haddington An afternoon giving you the chance to get hands on experience of techniques used in archaeology. These may include geophysical surveying, aerial kite photography, earthwork survey, gravestone recording, and more. There will also be guided tours of St Mary’s Church, its grounds and environs such as the Nungate Bridge and the Sands. No booking required. Free, drop-in event. Step back to the 16th century and prepare to Children under 12 must be accompanied by defend the castle! Get hands on with the arms an adult. For more information visit: and armour of the time and try your hand www.eastlothian.gov.uk/archaeology with a bow. Brush up on your pike, sword and buckler skills with a Ruthven soldier and create your very own family shield to protect you in battle. Participants for archery must be age 7+ For more information visit: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk No booking required. Cost included in admission price to the Castle. 5 Monday 8 September Tuesday 9 September Monday 8 – Wednesday 17 September 2–3.30pm A F St Andrew's Church: Session times: Morning 10am–12.30pm Afternoon 1.30–4pm Past, Present & Future The Dirleton Dig See Sunday 31 August Dirleton Green Carrying on from last year’s excavation of a 7pm A medieval building on the Green, the dig will explore the building further and try to find out The Mysterious Maritime more about the people who lived there and Pierced Stones of Sicar Rock, the history of Dirleton. The excavation is being Dunbar organised by Gullane and Dirleton History Society and East Lothian Council Archaeology Dunbar Town House Service. If you want to do some digging, book a place on one or more dig sessions, or just come along to watch and ask questions. Booking required for excavation sessions. Free. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. John McCarthy from Wessex Archaeology will give a talk on the stone anchors found on the sea bed near Dunbar. The talk looks at the ongoing survey by Wessex Archaeology's Coastal Marine section of the reported findspot of around six pierced stones which were found by local divers in 1998. The survey was commissioned by Historic Scotland and while no further anchors were uncovered, the suggestion is that there are still some on the sea bed. The anchors have interesting parallels with Mediterranean sites. The anchors are now in the East Lothian Museum Service collection and at least one will be on display in Dunbar Town House during the Fortnight. Booking required. Cost £4 (free to Dunbar and District History Society members) 6 Wednesday 10 September 11am–1pm A 2–3pm A Pinkie Cleugh Battlefield Walk Voices from the past: A guided walk, following the route of the exploring oral history advance of the Scottish army from its camp John Gray Centre, Haddington on the Esk to the site of its catastrophic defeat, between Inveresk and Wallyford. The walk will Come and listen to some of the experiences arrive at the Pinkie Cleugh Memorial Stone oral history collectors have had while recording at 1pm, for the annual commemoration people’s memories, and hear some favourite ceremony, conducted by the Old Musselburgh stories. You will also be able to book a time to Club. Most of the route is over level ground come and be interviewed for our oral history on pavements and paths, but also requires collection. climbing steep and somewhat irregular steps Please email [email protected] or call to Inveresk Church. This event is provided 01620 820 695 to be sure of a place. Free. by the Pinkie Cleugh Battlefield Group. Booking required. Cost £4 Thursday 11 September 7.30pm A Gods and Kings: Recent Archaeological work in East Lothian and the Borders Haddington Town House 1pm A Commemoration at Pinkie Cleugh Memorial Stone A talk by Andy Heald of AOC Archaeology Annual commemoration of the Battle of Group about interesting excavations and Pinkie Cleugh (1547) at the memorial stone community projects in East Lothian and (off Salter’s Road, Wallyford, at the A1 the Borders.