Portobello Bottle Works, Baileyfield Road, Portobello

[wangi]

Some interesting old photos of the Portobello Bottle Works, which was situated between Baileyfield Road and Fishwives Causeway, on . I've placed them on on old 1934 25" OS map below for reference:



Click on them for larger sizes...

by , on Flickr


by , on Flickr


by , on Flickr

Compare with current day view from the same place down now Harry Lauder Road:



by , on Flickr


by , on Flickr

Some other interesting Portobello shots at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sixtiesedi ... 0450214484

[Pal of Porty]

I clearly remember the bottle works - we used to sneak in and play on the massive piles of broken glass!

[fresian]

Another interesting shot

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_edin_t/1_ ... _glass.htm

[Epykat]

This is my father in law who was a bottle sorter at the Portobello bottleworks.

[Porty]

He is Mr Epykat double from that angle.


Bet your MIL thought he was a corker.


I remember the piles of glass too POP. Always thought there may be treasure .

[SoupDragon]

We were warned off going into the bottle works with tales of a boy who fell and died in there. Wonder if there's any truth in that.
It was possible to sneak in through the gap where the burn comes into Rosefield Park, I think there's now a path that come out at the insurance buildings, so they must be on part of where the bottle works stood

[vitawonk]

I dug out one of my cellars and there were some old bottles. One was from A. Skidmore & Sons of Portobello (Lemon Crush). I think the bottle is 1940's / 1950's, but I can't find any information on Skidmores. Does anyone have any recollection of them?

[Bob Jefferson]

Try the Portobello Heritage Trust:

http://www.portobelloheritagetrust.co.u ... %20us.html

[vitawonk]

Cheers - will send it on... I will post the pictures here too

[Bob Jefferson]

Oh, they are nice and in great condition too. Maybe you should do some more digging and see what else you can find?

[vitawonk]

Should have previewed - got the labels wrong. Still I am sure you can work it out!

[wilsonpeterhead]

if you are wondering if there is truth to the story of the boy who was killed in the bottle works, it is true, he was 12 years old and he fell through the asbestos roof. we used to play there, getting access through the apple orchard at the end of adelphi place(i think that is the right name)

I had an uncle who worked there and when I was quite young I would go to the Christmas parties at the social club.