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Macmerry Airfield

Airfield (20th Century), Building(S) (20th Century)

Site Name Macmerry Airfield

Classification Airfield (20th Century), Building(S) (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Penston Aerodrome; Tranent

Canmore ID 90069

Site Number NT47SW 46

NGR NT 4374 7345

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/90069

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council East Lothian
  • Parish Gladsmuir
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District East Lothian
  • Former County East Lothian

Archaeology Notes

NT47SW 46.00 4374 7345

NT47SW 46.01 NT 44845 73179 Pillbox

NT47SW 46.02 NT 43720 73340 Pillbox

NT47SW 46.03 centred NT 4445 7240 Buildings

NT47SW 46.04 NT 44687 72535 Cinema; Chapel; Gymnasium

NT47SW 46.05 NT 44543 72467 Building

NT47SW 46.06 NT 44939 73207 and NT 45115 73284 Dispersal Bays; Building

Some buildings, including a pillbox (NT47SW46.01) and dispersal bays (some of which are depicted on the most recent OS 1:10000 map of 1990) survive to the N of the A1 main road.

Information from RCAHMS (DE) February 1996

The construction of a new section of the dual carriageway A1 public road now cuts across this airfield which is situated NE of Macmerry. The accommodation camp now lies within the Macmerry Industrial Estate.

Still upstanding around the airfield area are the fuel depot, surface shelters, some dispersal bays and in Industrial Estate are many original accommodation camp buildings.

J A Guy 1997; NMRS MS 810/5, 138-142

NT 436 729 (centre) An archaeological evaluation was undertaken in advance of the development of the site as the new Royal Bank of Scotland Data Centre. The evaluation consisted of machine-excavated trial trenches covering 5% of the proposed development area. With the exception of a number of brick foundations relating to the use of the site as an airfield during WW2 (NT47SW 46), the only archaeological remains related to post-medieval cultivation.

Full report lodged with the NMRS.

Sponsor: Royal Bank of Scotland plc.

C Moloney 2001

Many of the perimeter buildings and dispersal bays were demolished during the construction of the A1 dual carriageway. A few survive in the dead-ground between the new and the old roads. Some buildings forming part of the accommodation area at Penston farm survive upstanding.

Infromation from RCAHMS (DE), November 2003

Two Bellman aircraft hangars have been identified from RAF WW II vertical air photographs (FNO 186, 6.36-6.38, flown 11 October 1942), at the SW corner of the grounds of Elvingson House (NT47SE 8.00). The aircraft hangars are about 1Km NE of the NE end of the grass runway at Macmerry. Both hangars have camouflaged roofs.

The site is now occupied by modern granary buildings, one of which lies on the same axis as the southern hangar.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), March 2006

Architecture Notes

NMRS PLANS:

MacMerry, Cunliffe Owen Aircraft Ltd. extension to Super Robin Hanger

Dick Peddie & MacKay, Edinburgh adds

Attic 2, Bin 4, Bag 2 Dick Peddie, McKay and Jamieson

1942/3

NMRS REFERENCE

ARCHITECT: Charles Campbell ( Work done at Penston Aerodrome during 1914-18 War ).

Activities

Note (28 October 2021)

Pillbox Study Group report two Stanton type air raid shelters at (NT 4374 7310 and NT 4372 7318) as depicted on the OS 1:2500 map (1958). A number of other buildings and a possible blister hanger are visible on an RAF vertical air photograph M/111/NLA/068 01036 (flown 26 August 1943) along the W boundary of the airfield. The area is now woodland and farmland.

On the N boundary of the airfield the Pillbox Study Group report another two Stanton type air raid shelters at NT 4448 7351 and NT 4460 7354, also depicted on the OS 1:2500 map (1958) which have been removed.

Information from Pillbox Study Group and HES (AKK) 28 October 2021

References

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