East Linton

East Linton
The Square, East Linton
East Linton  East Linton shown within East Lothian
Population	1,774 (2001)
OS grid reference	NT591771
Civil parish	Prestonkirk
Council area	East Lothian
Lieutenancy area	East Lothian
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	EAST LINTON
Postcode district	EH40
Dialling code	01620
Police	Scottish
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	East Lothian
Scottish Parliament	East Lothian
List of places UK Scotland

Coordinates: 55°59′10″N 2°39′18″W / 55.986°N 2.655°W / 55.986; -2.655

East Linton is a town in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne and A199 road (former A1 road) five miles east of Haddington, with a population of 1,774 (Census 2001). (In 1881 it had a population of 1,042).

Originally called Linton, the village probably gets its name from the Linn (a waterfall) on the river which it grew alongside. It was later called East Linton to distinguish it from West Linton in Peebleshire when the railways were built..

Today it has only one active church - Prestonkirk Parish Church (rebuilt 1770), also the name of the parish, but formerly had a free church (St Andrew's), a Roman Catholic church, St Kentigern's and a Methodist hall. The clock on St Andrew's former Church was put in by the townspeople to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee; it was named Jessie after a local lass when some village lads climbed into the steeple and poured a 'libation' on the clock to christen it. The name has remained ever since. There has long been a school in the town, and the mid-Victorian schoolmaster in East Linton was a George Pringle Smith (d.1850).

There is a fountain in the town square which has 4 cherubs and lights on top.

Preston Mill

Preston Mill, an old watermill, is on the outskirts. There has been a mill on the site since 1599, and it is still working. Attached to the watermill is a kiln, with a cowl of local design.

Following the closure of the branch railway line to Haddington in 1949, the fine Victorian station on the East Coast main line at East Linton became the next closest for that burgh. Though main line trains still thunder through at high speed, East Linton station was closed in 1964 and is now used as a residence. A study published in 2013 proposed that East Linton and Reston stations be reopened.^[1] Prior to the coming of the North British Railway, the mail coaches changed horses at the Douglas Inn, opposite the distillery in East Linton.

A surviving relic of East Linton's past importance as an agricultural centre is a timber octagonal auction mart for cattle, pigs and sheep in Station Road.

Civil engineer John Rennie (1761-1821) was born here, at Phantassie. He died at his home in London while working on the London Bridge project, a bridge he designed. The work was completed by his sons, George and Sir John Rennie.

The East Linton Community Website has more information at www.eastlinton.uk.com The East Linton Community Hall Website has information on activities at the Hall www.eastlintonhall.com

Sport

East Linton has a local football team named East Linton AFC.

References

Sources

• Fourteen Parishes of the County of Haddington, by John Martine, Edinburgh, 1890.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to East Linton.

• Census data (PDF)