Building record MAB38318 - ARBROATH HARBOUR

Arbroath harbour, built in the 19th Century, still in use.

Arbroath harbour, built in the 19th Century, still in use. It is a tidal harbour with a fish market built on the pier between the two basins. The harbour has two parts, the inner, a rectangular wet dock, formerly the Old Harbour, former as a tidal basin in the second quarter of the 18th Century, reconstructed by James Leslie in 1839 and converted to a wet dock in 1871-7, when a patent slip, now used by a boatbuilder, was also constructed. The outer, or New Harbour, a rectangular tidal basin built to Leslie's design in 1841-6. The works are of rubble construction, largely coursed, and there is a neat two-leafed bascule bridge over the entrance to the patent slip. The history of the harbour was studied by A. Graham, who wrote that 'the earliest phases of this harbour's history can be reconstructed tentatively from a record preserved in the cartulary of Arbroath Abbey (NO64SW0018). This contains the text of an agreement made in 1394 by Abbot John Gedy and the monks, on the one hand, and the townsmen of Arbroath, on the other, regarding the building of a harbour. From this we can infer a first phase, of earlier date than 1394, in which the town possessed no organised landing-place and ships must have worked off an open beach. It was to remedy this state of affairs that a harbour was now built at the foot of the High Street, and the second phase thus introduced. The agreement, in free translation, provided that the Abbey should, at its own expense, build with all possible speed, and in perpetuity maintain, a port for the burgh which was safe in the judgement of local experts, and at which ships could call and find a safe and quiet position irrespective of movements of the tide. The burgesses, for their part, should help in the work by removing, at their own expense, all stones, sands, and other impediments to the construction of the port, clear the port of stones and sand whenever necessary for the work, continuing the said clearance from the beginning of the port's construction until the work was complete. They should also fill, set in place, and weight with stones, at the first building of the port, all the 'archas' ordered for the port at the discretion of the magistrates, and for this find certain instruments, namely 'vangas, tribulos et gavyllox ferreos' at their own expense, the Abbot and monks undertaking the provision of other instruments and burdens'. The foregoing interpretation of a far from lucid text suggests the construction of a solid breakwater-pier by means of timber cages reinforced with piled-up stones and boulders. (For what it may be worth, one of Slezer's drawings shows part of the 17th century version of this pier as being of masonry and timber). On this showing therefore, the statement of the Statistical Account that the harbour was poorly built of wood could not have been correct, but a mistake might very well have been made as the author, writing in 1793, could have been deceived by, say, stumps of rotten timbers still surviving on the site some 70 years after the pier had gone out of use. Whatever the method of its construction, the first harbour was most probably a modest affair. A document of the late 17th or 18th century records that Arbroath possessed a shore, some shipping, and 'a little small trade'. Applications for financial help in repairs were made from time, Parliament authorising the burgh to exact shore-dues for the support of the harbour in 1698 and the Convention of Royal Burghs making grants, or recommending voluntary contributions from the burghs in general, between 1582 and 1704. In 1716 a crisis seems to have been reached. The term 'ruinous' had been used in 1702, and now a petition was submitted which laid blame on former magistrates and also cited exceptional storm-damage suffered in the preceding winter. An inspection was made, much work was found to be necessary, and in 1723 the place was still ruinous, but by 1724 work had begun on a 'new pier and harbour', with a grant of £30 in cash from the Convention and voluntary contributions recommended from the individual burghs. Such expressions as 'building a harbour' and 'the new harbour' were frequently used, but the new arrangements are usually dated to 1725. The site chosen was a fresh one, on the opposite (W) side of the Brothock Water. The new work was of stone with an entrance 31ft (9.5m) wide which could be closed with booms operated by a crane. It was dry at low tide, but the water of the Brothock could be sluiced into it to flush out silt. The depth at the entrance was up to 16ft (4.9m) at high springs and down to 9ft (2.7m) at neaps. Before 1736 the harbour did little trade except in smuggling and fishing, though the place was of sufficient importance to be marked on General Roy's Map (1747-55). In the 1790s about 30 ships seem to have been owned in the town, although two passages in the Statistical Account give slightly divergent figures. In 1839, the harbour of 1725, now regarded as the 'old' harbour, was considerably improved, and was enlarged to contain an area of 6 acres (2.4ha). New works included the construction of a sea-wall and outer harbour, the outer entrance being 100ft (30.5m) and having a depth of 12ft (3.7m) at the pier-heads,the inner one was 27ft (8.2m) wide and provided with booms. The piers were founded on rock, which permitted dredging, a point which suggests a contrast with earlier and less stable foundations simply resting on the foreshore. The sea-wall was of red-sandstone ashlar. The plans, by J. Leslie, could not be realised in full for lack of funds, but further work was recommended. In this connection, it is interesting to see that an Admiralty plan of 1833 shows, in addition, a disconnected stretch of breakwater outside the outer harbour, creating, as it were, an outer compartment for it. The OS 2nd edition map also shows a beacon on the south breakwater, pilot office and signal lighthouse on the northern breakwater.

Period Notes
'Old' harbour built 1725, rebuilt 1839, converted to wet dock 1870-1. 'New' harbour built 1839-46.

AN/6664-6 (1983), AN/6664-6 (1983) (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB27532.

Hume, J R, 1977, [Untitled], 121 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4913.

Graham, A, 1979, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 108, 335-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11820.

SBS Arbroath, 1982, [Untitled], 7-8, 34-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10877.

Minchinton, W, 1984, [Untitled], 178 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7209.

PERRY, D, 1998, A NEW LOOK AT OLD ARBROATH. IN TAYSIDE AND FIFE ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1457.

Feb 12 2008 , AAS/08/01/DG44, AAS/08/01/DG44 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB21217.

Jun 13 2013 , AAS-GR-13-06-118 - 139, AAS-GR-13-06-118 - 139 (Ground Photograph). SAB34884.

Sep 15 2000 , AAS/00/13/CT110-1, AAS/00/13/CT110-1 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB29381.

Sep 15 2000 , AAS/00/13/G33/2-3, AAS/00/13/G33/2-3 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB29380.

Record last edited

Jan 20 2022 8:39AM