I thought before bed on #NationalUnicornDay I might do a wee thread on the remarkable Prestonpans Mercat Cross.

It actually stands in the former village of Preston, long since engulfed by the new town of Prestonpans as it expanded from its salt pans by sea in 18th & 19thC (1/10)

The village was granted a charter to hold a weekly market and an annual fair in 1617 at which time it is presumed this fine cross was erected

Apparently five such structures were built in Scotland, at Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee & Aberdeen. Only Prestonpans survives in situ. (2/10)

The story goes that in the 1630s the "Lothians Packmen" acquired the cross and with it the rights to hold the markets and annual fair on St Jerome's Day.

This group, in various guises, guarded these rights until the early 19thC when they became more of a social club. (3/10)

The base is an octagonal structure into which have been set 6 recesses, each scalloped to looks like a cockle-shell. Above these project nine cannon-shaped gargoyles and between them is a staircase leading up and a door to small chamber that *may* have acted as a tolbooth. (4/10)

Towering above is a column of much tougher whinstone topped with a beautifully carved rearing #Unicorn clasping an emblazoned shield between its hooves.

The whole building has seen far better days and is need of some serious TLC but its survival at all is near miraculous (5/10)

For many years, after it had fallen out of its original use in the mid-19thC, the Mercat Cross was an ancient ornament sitting in the middle of a cabbage patch as Prestonpans delivered one of the biggest commercial market garden operations in the world. (6/10)

By the late 19th century access to the ancient monument was being seriously restricted by its owners, much to the displeasure of local antiquarians.

The letters page of The Scotsman became their favoured battle ground to demand access. (7/10)

The intensive gardening persisted, however, continuing until well into the 20th century, around both the Cross and the nearby 14th century Preston Tower.

That any care of either structure was taken at all shows the affection local residents and workers had for both. (8/10)

As market gardening industry disappeared around same time as the world famous local coalmines, saltworks, brewery, potteries & soapworks in the 2nd half of 20thC, land around the Cross & Tower was ripe for housebuilding.

Mercifully both survived (9/10) https://www.google.com/maps/@55.9555012,-2.9758151,3a,75y,299.83h,88.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soik2yweNVvJGLieXeEhFqw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Leaving it for us to enjoy today, on #NationalUnicornDay, one of the finest historic #Unicorns in the country!

Not sure how I ended up doing these late night threads each evening this week, but hey ho. Nighty night all! (10/10)