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A large basin formed by an L-plan pier and a straight pier, and subdivided by two straight piers into three basins. The piers are all rubble-built, with much of the masonry vertically set. An earlier harbour may have existed nearer the mouth of the Deveron as in the Statistical Account it says that 'old' craft had entered the estuary and lain 'where the bulwark now is'. The changes to the course of the river channel and movement of sandbanks over time would have affected the navigable channel and called for the construction of a harbour in a better position at Banff itself. A record attributed to the 17th Century states that Banff was a small and unimportant place lacking a harbour and that the inhabitants were consequently unequal to sea-faring business. In 1613 application had been made to the Convention of Royal Burghs for 'support to the helpe of thair kirk and herberie', and in 1615 a grant of one hundred pounds had been made. In 1727, again, a voluntary contribution for the building of the harbour was recommended. Parliament, likewise approached, went no further than to authorise, in 1696, a public subscription in all kirks. An early attempt was made in 1625 to construct a harbour west of the river, though it suffered from continual delays and misfortunes and was only finished in 1775. By the end of the 18th Century 'a most useful and commodious harbour' existed, when eight brigantines and fourteen sloops were then owned in the burgh, and a considerable trade was carried on. Silting up appeared to have been a continuing problem, as in 1698 consideration had been given to build a construction on the east bank of the Deveron at Downe and a grant of 500 marks was given towards its development. It was hoped that this construction would help to increase the force of the current and discourage the piling-up of alluvial sand. It was noted in 1701, that the silting was 'like to render the existing harbour useless'. In 1769 Banff had two small harbours, but large vessels could not come near them, and this suggests that both the eastern and western harbours were functioning at the same time though neither in a satisfactory way. By the beginning of the 19th Century, the problem was evidently tackled with considerable vigour, but the precise course of events is difficult to reconstruct as the authorities differ as to dates and points of detail, and positive criteria are lacking. According to the Harbour reports, however, the existing arrangements had grown up, through a series of makeshifts, to meet the drawbacks of shallow water, invading alluvial sand, and exposure to northeast gales. The harbour comprised of an inner and an outer basin, opening towards the north-northeast and formed by a north quay and an east pier, within which were a west pier and two jetties. In 1806 an attempt was made to enlarge the harbour by the enclosure of an inlet on the north. In 1818 Telford planned an outer north pier to enclose a basin, which was damaged before completion and was still unfinished in 1837. It was however repaired with clamps and chain cables. In 1836 this north pier was thought to be useful in preventing 'swell and agitation' in the old harbour, which was by then regarded as the safest in the whole Moray Firth. Nonetheless, in 1847 measures to increase its security were under discussion, including further reconstruction, dredging and the deflection of the river's outfall. The harbour is now silted up considerably and now only used by small craft. An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by AOC Archaeology in May-June 2006 on all dredging works conducted at Banff Harbour. The Middle and Inner Basins of the harbour were dredged down to natural rock. The removed sediment comprised dark blackish brown decaying organic material and sand. Modern rubbish, including plastic, tyres, rope, chain, driftwood, brick and iron fragments was frequent throughout. Sand from the Outer Basin beach was used to fill sandbags for the construction of a temporary dam. Once the dredging had been completed a photographic survey of the harbour walls was made and a laser scan survey was conducted. No archaeological features or artefacts of significance were recorded during the watching brief. Listing of the harbour was updated 2007 to include the pillbox strategically sited and incorporated into the retaining wall of steeply sloping ground west of the quayside, below the Coastguard Station, overlooking the harbour. It is a single chamber pillbox with two splayed horizontal firing loops and narrow blocked doorway. It has a circular concrete structure on its flat top which may have been a small gun emplacement and there is some possibility that the structure was also used as a mine watchers post.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)