The South East of Scotland saw extensive medieval mining and quarrying. Newbattle Abbey is recorded as undertaking coal extraction in the area around Preston Grange in the early thirteenth century (Hall 2006, 26). Written records indicate that by the late medieval period the area around Prestonpans and Wallyford had a significant coal industry, which appears to have supplied much of the Edinburgh area with coal. It seems likely that later coal mining has erased many of the signs of medieval coal extraction. However, some physical evidence may remain.
Greater interdisciplinary study of quarrying in South East Scotland should be a priority. Written records provide some insights into medieval quarries. Studies of masonry in standing buildings can also provide information regarding quarries in the region, and there has been productive work on the likely sources of stone for the abbeys of Jedburgh, Melrose and Dryburgh.
Lime production is often assumed to be primarily a feature of the region’s post-1600 economy. However, written evidence indicates that there was significant lime production during the medieval period. The vast majority of lime processing sites in the region are not reliably dated, and possible medieval use of these locations should not be ruled out.
Mining, Quarrying, and Lime Production Research Questions
- What can we discover about the evolution of coal extraction during the medieval period?
- When is the earliest evidence for coal mining underground?
- What role did the Church play in the development of coal mining in the region?
- Where were stone quarries located in South East Scotland during the medieval period?
- How far was stone transported from quarries to building sites?
- Did quarrying techniques change during the medieval period?
- How did quarrying and coal mining affect the wider landscape?
- Where was lime burning happening in South East Scotland during the medieval period? Was lime production primarily taking place near building sites or was lime being transported significant distances?
- Was there a notable increase in lime burning during the late Middle Ages?
- What can we learn about the design of medieval lime kilns?