Painting by Frank Forsgard Manclark, 'The Leith Artist'

Comments

Leith Sands and the Martello Tower

Family Group

This painting is of a group of the Moracen family on the Leith Sands. It was painted by Frank Manclark, from two photographs of Joe Moracen's family, taken on Leith Sands.

Joe’s Moracen's father worked for the Leith shipbuilders, Ramage & Ferguson, making model ships until the 1930s. Joe was a regular visitor to Leith Sands and to West Pier, Leith.

'Tally Tower'

This painting is based on a couple of Jerome photographs of Leith Sands, taken in the mid-1930s. The figure at the front of the group is Joe Moracen.

The Martello Tower, known as the 'Telly Tower', is in the background.

When this photograph was taken, the Martello Tower was in the open sea, off Leith Sands, but this whole area was brought within Leith Docks when the breakwaters were built around Leith's Western Harbour.

The Martello Tower is now within the secure area of the docks, not normally accessible to the public, a short distance to the east of the main harbour entrance. However, this area should become accessible again as new housing is built in the docks.

Comments

Martello Tower

Thank you to Keith Miller who wrote:

Access

"I was interested to read your description of the Martello Tower on the Western breakwater of Leith Docks.

I walked to it earlier this week and although you are correct in saying it lies within the 'secure/restricted' area of the docks, it's actually easily and legally accessible by walking along the foreshore from Seafield. You can get to within 10 meters of it, walking along the top of the breakwater wall."

Condition

"It really is disgraceful that the commercial and operational activities around the tower are encroaching so close to it. It's a pretty squalid setting (like the vile foreshore reclaimed by dumping thousands of tons of building waste over Leith's sands)

Both need some attention from SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and Historic Scotland in my view."

Keith Miller, Oban, Argyll & Bute, Scotland: November 20, 2009