Prestonpans: Future of Battle of Prestonpans Heritage Trust discussed

The trust is currently based out of Prestonpans Town Hall, where it hosts a museum dedicated to the battle.

Arran Johnston, museum curator, spoke at the meeting as the second year of the trust’s five-year lease came to a close.

Three realistic options were presented for the future of the museum.

The first would see the creation of a purpose-built facility at Blindwells with assistance from Hargreaves Land, the new town’s developers.

It was suggested that this would be housed in the development’s new “town centre”. The site’s proximity to the battle site was highlighted as a bonus.

Dr DJ Johnston-Smith, chairperson of Prestonpans Community Council

The second option would see the museum move to the bathhouse at Prestongrange Museum, which has been recently vacated after the removal of two locomotives.

This location had been suggested in 2016, as part of a massive tourism development, but did not come to fruition.

Both these sites would have the space to display the historic Prestonpans Tapestry, which its current location, in the town hall, is unable to house in its entirety.

Dr Johnston said: “We have a 105m tapestry that spends its life in storage and it shouldn’t.”

The third option would be to continue at the town hall, which Dr Johnston stressed would be cheaper but the museum would be forced to continue on a “smaller scale”.

He added that, regardless of receiving a “£10m cheque”, they would be “staying here until the end of the lease”.

Community council chair DJ Johnston-Smith was quick to praise Dr Johnston and his team for their work in the last two years.

He said: “It has transformed the town hall – I certainly want to say thank you.”

The community council chair asked if any deadline had been set for the trust to reach a decision on what option they may explore.

Dr Johnston clarified that no decision had been made but he would prefer something to come together “sooner rather than later”.

He added: “Sand does shift under our feet sometimes.”

However, he did add that the trust had lodged interest with the council for all options on the table, stating that there was no preferred option at this stage.