Heritage Connections Summer 2025
- Salt of the Earth
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
Heritage Connections is all about celebrating the amazing work of the brilliant groups and organisations who work so hard to promote the history of our local area. Preston, Seton & Gosford is steeped in fascinating history, which provides not only a wealth of opportunities to showcase the area to visitors, but also affords the communities here many opportunities to foster community identity and grounding in their place.
The summertime is always a great time for heritage events, especially outdoor ones, so here are some of the superb things to look forward to from July to September.
Celebrating the Prestonpans Tapestry - Prestonpans Town Hall
Join the Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust for a special day marking the 15th anniversary of the completion of the Prestonpans Tapestry. There will be craft activities, costumed interpretation, the launch of a new project, music and much more. And of course you'll be able to see the Tapestry in all its glory!
And of course the museum at the town hall is open on weekends as usual!
Summer Events at Cockenzie House & Gardens
There are loads of great reasons to visit Cockenzie House & Gardens, not least the heritage room which houses fantastic exhibitions throughout the year. Currently they have a wonderful exhibition on the writers of Cockenzie & Port Seton.
Also, don't forget the excellent flea market on the first Saturday of each month, not to mention the live music each weekend in the gardens - EH32 Live!
1722 Waggonway Project - archaeology and more...
The team at the Waggonway Project open their heritage centre / museum each weekend through the summer, but that's not all - September is fast approaching, which means that archaeology is on the cards! During the first week of September the Waggonway team will be digging again to find out more about Scotland's earliest railway, which is a key part of our area's industrial heritage - there will be opportunities for public to get involved, and to help the team celebrate at the post-dig tap-room bar event, so check out all the details via their website www.1722waggonway.co.uk
Preston Tower & Doocot - Open Morning
As part of East Lothian Archaeology and Heritage Fortnight 2023, East Lothian Council and the Friends of Preston Tower will be hosting another open morning in Preston Tower Gardens on Saturday 9th September from 10am to 12pm to talk about the repair and partial restoration project.
It's a great opportunity to find out more about the work that's taken place there over the last two years and to get involved in the years ahead.
Prestongrange Museum
For over 400 years Prestongrange was a focus of industry. A harbour, glass works, pottery, colliery and brickworks have all left their marks on the landscape including winding gear, a vast brick kiln and a Cornish beam engine. The site Visitor Centre is open in the summer months (2 April 2025 to 28 September 2025 - Wednesday to Sunday 11am - 4.30pm). There is an exhibition about the site and a free audio tour available using headsets borrowed from the Visitor Centre or on your mobile phone. To enhance your visit why not take one of our guided tours? These cost £3.60 per person and last around 1 hour and 20 minutes and are led by our knowledgeable staff. Tours usually leave at 11:30am and 2:00pm although we will do our best to help if you would like a tour outside this time.
You can also enjoy a welcome refreshment at the Pithead Canteen Café. Details of the current programme are available on the events and exhibitions pages and through Facebook.
East Lothian Archaeology and Heritage Fortnight
There are many more wonderful events across not just the PSG area but also the whole of East Lothian during the first two weeks of September - find out all the details here - Archaeology Fortnight 2025 - Events - John Gray Centre
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