Biel, East Lothian

Biel

Entrance pillars to Biel, East Lothian
Biel
Biel shown within East Lothian
OS grid reference NT634759
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town DUNBAR
Postcode district EH42
Dialling code 01368
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Biel is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, UK, to the south of Dunbar, off the B6370 road. It is situated on the Biel Estate, close to Biel House.

Placename

The word 'biel', 'beil' or 'bel' means "shelter", as in Belton, Belhaven, Bilsdean, or as in Robert Lauder of Beilmouth.

History

Archaeologists from Glasgow University found the remains of a small farmstead over 2000 years old, possibly with a palisade surrounding a roundhouse.

The Biel estate was originally owned by the Earls of Dunbar, then by Robert Lauder of The Bass. Sir James Hamilton, Sheriff of Lanark, bought Biel in 1641.

William Hamilton Nisbet succeeded to the Biel lands and made Biel House his residence. It is a 12th-century tower house, off the B6370, and a member of the Historic Houses Association.

Biel House

The present Biel House is a 16th-century three-storey listed building, formerly owned by the Earls of Belhaven. William Atkinson extended it in 1814-1818, and in the early twentieth century, further interior alterations were made by R.R.Anderson. The grounds include a chapel, rock garden, doocot, summerhouse, gatepiers, deer park, woodland, arboretum, kitchen garden, glasshouses.

Biel Water (Biel Burn)

The Biel Water, locally known as the Biel Burn, flows through the Biel Estate, and Biel Mill is situated in a woodland.

The Biel Burn Flood of 1948 is still remembered by local residents. The latest flooding incident occurred in 2007.

See also

References

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Biel, East Lothian.


    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.