joppa salt pans

ras · Post by **ras** » 09 Sep 2004, 12:06

I am interested in the history of the old Salt Pans at Joppa and was wondering if anyone could suggest any good links, reference books, contacts etc that would allow me to find out more about them. Specifically if there were any images, plans, maps historic photos, that anyone knew of.

I have tried the usual sources: 'Annals of Duddingston', the Edinburgh room, the national library, etc. but anything I have found just make passing reference, but not much detail. Generally all the images I've seen are distant views from near the promenade.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Post by **wangi** » 09 Sep 2004, 12:24

On the photographic point... I seem to remember seeing some pictures off the pans in a book titled "Old Portobello" - probably in Waterstons. Also I think the Rockville House Hotel (on the site) has some old pictures of the area up on the walls in the pub.

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 09 Sep 2004, 13:18

Ali and I bought a copy of the Old Portobello book from Porty library. It costs Ã‚Â£6.99 and has some fantastic pics in it, including one of the salt pans.
There are also pics of Marine Gardens, which was where the bus depot is now, and lots of shots of the Prom, Porty Streets and the Open Air Pool.

ras · Post by **ras** » 09 Sep 2004, 14:03

thanks wangi & ecm

I have seen the images in 'Old Portobello' which from memory are taken from the shore looking east. They are good images, but does anyone know of the existence of any taken from Musselburgh Rd / Seaview Terrace or any images taken form the east looking west or of the actual 'pans' themselves.

Cheers

Post by **wangi** » 09 Sep 2004, 14:28

I am pretty sure I've seen pics of the pans - and I think it may well have been on the menus in the Eastfield Conservatory Restaurant. Maybe.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 09 Sep 2004, 16:00

wangi wrote:I am pretty sure I've seen pics of the pans - and I think it may well have been on the menus in the Eastfield Conservatory Restaurant. Maybe.

Wonder if ECM has eaten at ECR?

ali · Post by **ali** » 09 Sep 2004, 17:19

Porty
ECM hasn't eaten at the ECR (yet)
we've looked at the menu many times as we passed when we've been out for a walk.
She is off visiting at the ERI tonight and won't be around till after 9. so I guess the voting will be all over by the time she gets on-line again.

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 09 Sep 2004, 21:32

Marya wrote:
She is off visiting at the ERI tonight
Hope it's nothing too serious.
.............Hey, she's not "going for the sympathy vote" is she? That's meant to be mine!

Bet you were thinking I was getting my stomach pumped or something?
I was visiting my Mum's new plastic hip joint!
The new ERI is quite impressive and Mum has no complaints apart from the cold food (well, it does have to come all the way from Wales after all).
She's been quite pleased and surprised to find that 2 of the ward doctors are German, just as she is, so she's been enjoying blethering away in her native tongue these past few days.

ras · Post by **ras** » 10 Sep 2004, 09:21

.....excuse me!

I think we have gone off the thread a bit here.

I will have a word with the Rockville / Conservatory restaurant owners, but I have been in before and am sure the photos are similar if not the same as the ones in in the 'Old Portobello' book.

Any other sources?

Any local Historians with their own archive?

Or any local residents with historical / family photos that might have caught the pans in the background?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 10 Sep 2004, 09:48

ras wrote:.....excuse me!

I think we have gone off the thread a bit here.

We do that a lot here!

have you searched the edinphoto website? It's an incredibly useful resource. Dave Henniker also has a useful website - do a Google search on his name.

ras · Post by **ras** » 10 Sep 2004, 14:39

Thanks

The 'edinphoto' website I have seen and it does have the best images that I have come across so far. But again from the prom looking east, none that actually give me an idea of how the buildings on to the street at Musselburgh Road would have looked.

I like the Dave Henniker website, some excellent scenes.

Looks like I'm drawing a blank though on the salt pans.

I'll keep searching.

Post by **wangi** » 16 Sep 2004, 22:19

In my "picture a day" description for today I blabbed a bit about the Pans... This egged me on to get some further pictures of the Pans later on in the day...

There is a real lack of anything about Joppa Pans online!?

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 17 Sep 2004, 20:34

ECR is good if you need "hangover" food of steak pie and chips!

Susan and Des who run the bar/restaurant are really nice and friendly.

Post by **wangi** » 19 Sep 2004, 22:35

ras, you have checked http://www.scran.ac.uk/? A few fair pictures of the pans turn up in the search results for "joppa", "portobello" and "salt works".

ras · Post by **ras** » 21 Sep 2004, 08:49

wangi

thanks for the link to 'SCRAN' that's the best one so far

Also liked your photos of the pans. I'm sure the plaque on Rock Cottage dates the house to the 16 century though. I'll double check and find out the start date for the salt works as well.

Does anyone know if there has been anyone of note living at Rock Cottage? As It's the oldest house in Portobello I would assume there must have been someone over the last 400 years worth a mention.
The Rockville web-site seems to suggest that the Chambers sons lived there, but I have yet to find a reference anywhere that actually confirms this link.

Post by **wangi** » 21 Sep 2004, 15:40

From the CANMAP search on http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 21 Sep 2004, 17:14

Wow! That's impressive Wangi!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 21 Sep 2004, 18:00

Ras try this - page 9 onwards

http://www.alanmacfarlane.com/TEXTS/ROBT2.PDF

Post by **wangi** » 21 Sep 2004, 18:53

ras wrote:Also liked your photos of the pans. I'm sure the plaque on Rock Cottage dates the house to the 16 century though. I'll double check and find out the start date for the salt works as well.

You're right:

ras · Post by **ras** » 22 Sep 2004, 08:52

excellent

I'm going to take a trip to RCAHMS to see if they have anything else.

The 'DarkAges' text has some good references to the Chambers located in the Pans. I'll trawl the text and see if it pinpoints any one particular property. Not sure if the remaining house 'rock cottage' (or 'joppa pans house' as it's referred to in RCAHMS text) was their actual property.

this is good stuff though

Post by **wangi** » 30 Oct 2004, 20:32

I must confess to a geek moment today - I hacked off a bit of coal out of the rocks and then heated over the hob until it was burning...

Ras, you been along to RCAHMS yet?

john · Post by **john** » 02 Nov 2004, 08:49

The buildings facing the main road were just a row of single storey houses with pitched slated roofs. I do however have an original victorian oil painting of the pans taken looking east, a similar view to Wangi's third photo.

Ras - I will pm you with my telephone number if you would like to contact me regarding this.