Preston, Prestonpans

Preston

Preston Lodge
Preston
Preston shown within East Lothian
OS grid reference NT388739
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PRESTONPANS
Postcode district EH32
Dialling code 01875
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Preston was a village on the East Lothian coast of Scotland, and is now a small part of the centre of Prestonpans. It is to the east of Prestongrange, and the southwest of Cockenzie and Port Seton.

The name Preston means "priest town", and the monks of Holyrood Abbey and Newbattle Abbey owned land there. The village was noted for St Jerome's Fair, held on the second Thursday of October. The chapmen of the area had formed themselves into a guild and elected their office bearers at the fair.

Two of Preston's most important structures were Preston Tower and Preston mercat cross. The mercat cross is unique in that it is the only such structure still in its original location and form. It has eight compartments, two doorways, six alcoves with semi-circular mouldings of scallop shells. The latter are said to be an allusion to the pilgrim traffic between North Berwick and St Andrews.

Preston Tower belonged to the Hamilton family (also known as the "haughty Hamiltons") who owned ten strongholds including Preston House, Hamilton House, Innerwick Castle and Brodick Castle, Arran.

Other notable buildings on the site of the former village of Preston include Northfield House and Preston Lodge, pictured on the right.

See also

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