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Easter Duddingston Quarry

Joppa, Recreation Ground, City of Edinburgh.

Mine & Quarry (Fireclay / Sandstone), 19th Century.

The third and largest of three quarries in the Joppa area, now completely infilled to form Joppa Quarry Park. Mine galleries were driven into the quarry walls at Easter Duddingston.

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"Joppa quarries: Three quarries worked strata in the Limestone Coal Formation and Upper Limestone Formation at Joppa. One was situated at the shore where sandstone was obtained; a second quarry was opened about 1780. A third more extensive working called 'The Quarry' was bounded by the present Milton Road East, South Morton Street, the railway and Brunstane Road (now called Joppa Quarry Park). The Joppa Sandstone of the Upper Limestone Formation was worked for a yellow building stone. Hugh Miller, the Cromarty stone mason and famous geologist, was a frequent visitor to these quarries. The latter two quarries also exposed good seams of fireclay and before the end of the 18th century a large brickmaking works was established near the shore. At the peak of activity at the brickworks, 18,000 bricks were produced per week." [EGS]

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"The [2nd] Joppa Quarry, to the south of Joppa Station, was opened about the year 1780 by Mr Alexander Robertson. He was succeeded by his son of the same name, who long resided in Joppa... Mr Robertson continued to excavate both stone and fire-clay till about the year 1817... On the expiry of his lease, however, the quarry was taken from him and let to Mr Livingston.

Mr Livingston having exhausted the clay in his lower [2nd] Joppa Quarry some years previous, found the large [3rd] quarry a great acquisition, as he could now carry on the brick making without being dependent on others for his clay. The quarry and brickwork were carried on by him till 1845 when he became the tenant of the Abercorn Brick Works in Portobello. Being thereafter abandoned, the Joppa Brick Work fell into ruins, and as we have indicated, has left no visible trace behind.

The (larger or Easter Duddingston) quarry continued to be used by Mr Livingston till his death in 1858, and by his son, Mr Allan Livingston, some years thereafter; but for more than a quarter of a century it has ceased to be wrought. The fire-clay was dug out by running long parallel galleries underground following the stratum, and here, as in the adjoining coal pits, the drudgery work of carrying the fire-clay was often done by women, who toiled along the low-roofed galleries to the open level with their boxes on their backs called "hutches," fastened with a leather strap across their foreheads like a fishwife's creel; each load weighing nearly a hundredweight." [SBH]

Alternative Names: Joppa Quarry

Notes: Extent of East Duddingston quarry workings shown on 1896 OS 25" map.

"During the latter years of his life, when residing in Portobello. Hugh Miller found the quarry of Joppa a favourite hunting ground. Here in its inner recesses, he discovered many interesting geological specimens, which furnished him with illustrations and confirmations of those wonderful theories of his which so charmed and instructed the scientific world of thirty or forty years ago." [SBH]