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Mall Avenue meets the High Street by New Bridge. This is one of Musselburgh's notorious traffic light sets which will detain you at most times. The town is a nightmare to drive through and was far worse 30 years earlier before the bypass was built and the A1 ran through it.
©Richard Webb
The Ancient Tolbooth (prison)-shown on the right - has dominated here for several hundreds of years.
©james denham
St Michael's sits adjacent to the site of a Romam Fort and has a mound in the churchyard known as Cromwell's mound, where the English cannons were aimed on the town.
©james denham
the Romans bridged the river here near the end of the 1st century AD. There has been a bridge on this site ever since - nearly two thousand years! the present stone structure dates from the 16th century.
©james denham
There are six bridges over the Esk at Musselburgh, two carry traffic permanently, the old "Roman Bridge" is now only for pedestrians, two other pedestrian bridges and "the electric bridge" opens only on racedays at the local racecourse. The bridges link "the Burgh" with Fisherrow.
©james denham
Dist:0.1km<br/>Evening sun on berries. The tree is definitely a relative of the whitebean and rowan , but which of this notoriously difficult family is it? By a road junction in Musselburgh.
©Richard Webb
Dist:0.1km<br/>Victorian terrace houses. There are small houses on the bottom and large 2/3 bedroom houses on top, accessed by vennels, outside stairs and balconies. The red sandstone is characteristic throughout Musselburgh.
©Anne McDonough
Dist:0.2km<br/>The beautiful church is situated in Newbigging.
©james denham
Dist:0.2km<br/>With the perpetual queue to get through the lights by the bridge. Until the 1980s this was the A1 and the queues of those days are occasionally reenacted when the bypass is shut, or has roadworks.
©Richard Webb
Dist:0.2km<br/>The back of High Street shops which are almost as ugly at the front.
©Richard Webb
Dist:0.2km<br/>
©Mike Pennington
Dist:0.2km<br/>There is a big sale on, the company is in administration. Peacocks is considered to be a well run and viable business, but under the shadow of the dole, few are shopping. There were six bid in to buy the chain at the time of submission. 10,000 jobs are threatened. This store had only just opened. It was a supermarket before.
©Richard Webb
Dist:0.2km<br/>Northern side.
©Richard Webb
Dist:0.3km<br/>"Musselburgh was a burgh When Edinburgh was nane, And Musselburgh'll be a burgh When Edinburgh is gane." -- local rhyme The Romans made no use of the Castle Rock in Edinburgh, but instead established their base on the Forth at Inveresk, because supplies by sea could be easily landed at the mouth of the Esk. "Musselburgh is a very ancient burgh of Regality, and was once called Musselburgh-shire. Before the Reformation, it was an ecclesiastical burgh belonging, inter alia, to the abbacy of Dunfermline. It was disjoined by King James VI. from that abbacy, and given in donation to one of the family of Lauderdale: and when the whole abbacy was given to Queen Ann of Denmark, she reclaimed the regality of Musselburgh, as comprehended under the gift. But the proprietor contended, that it had ab ante* been gifted to him, which defence was sustained. Certain parts, however, of this regality and parish have been disjoined, and added to the parishes of Cranston, Newton, and Dalkeith. This Lordship was held by the family of Lauderdale till the year 1709, when it was purchased by the Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleugh. The mill, to which this regality was astricted and thirled**, is called the Shire-mill, and the wood along the banks of the river of which little remains, is called Shire-wood, and Sheriff-hall at the extremity of the regality has acquired its name in the same manner. Musselburgh is an ancient ecclesiastical and incorporate burgh, holden of the Lord Superior of the Regality, who is now the Duke of Buccleugh, on payment of certain sums annually as quit-rent or feu-duty. The territories of the Burgh extend along the sea-coast, the whole length of the parish, and are about two measured miles and. a half in length, and from one half to one fourth of a mile in breadth. The most ancient charter of this burgh now extant is dated December 11. 1562, and is granted by Robert Commendator of Dunfermline, with consent of the whole members of the convent. It narrates, "That the title-deeds belonging to the burgh were burnt by their enemies the English, after the fatal battle of Pinkie; therefore they of new grant, dispone, and confirm to the present bailies, community and inhabitants of Musselburgh, and to their successors," &c. which is not inconsistent with what has been before mentioned as a traditional account, viz. That their first charter was procured, by means of their attention to Randolph Earl of Murray, who died in their town. This charter is confirmed by many subsequent charters and acts of Parliament, particularly by a charter from the Earl, afterwards Duke of Lauderdale, dated anno 1670, in which all their ancient rights and privileges are narrated and confirmed." -- Alexander Carlyle, minister of Inveresk, Old Statistical Account, 1792 *beforehand; ** restricted and bound
©kim traynor
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©Mike Pennington

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