The Community Website for Crossmichael,
Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland
Crossmichael Heritage Centre
Crossmichael Heritage Centre is located in the Church Hall and the Old Hearse Hoose, both situated close to the village church. The main collections of material are held in the Church Hall and there is a smaller ‘taster’ exhibition in the Hearse Hoose, including a Crossmichael ‘time-line’.
The Centre re-opens after the Winter closure on 13 April 2022. The Hearse Hoose is open all day, from Monday to Saturday. The Church Hall exhibition is open on Wednesdays and Fridays, from 1.30 to 4.30.
The Church Hall archive is both analogue – in the form of wall- and floor-mounted displays, for example – and digital. The Hearse Hoose is open most of the time. Opening hours at the Church Hall are variable; they will be advertised here wherever possible and certainly at the building itself. From time to time, we put on one-off events and special exhibitions in the Church and in the Memorial Hall. An additional feature of the Centre’s work is the ‘Living History’ strand – an on-going oral and video history of the local community, patched together from interviews with residents and stitched into a ‘digital quilt’.
We have produced several publications, and these are available to buy:
When I Walked Here: Reflections on Crossmichael. An anthology of new writing inspired by Crossmichael history. Published by Crossmichael Heritage Centre, price £5. Available from Smart's Bookshop in Castle Douglas.
Crossmichael's Fallen Warriors: We Will Remember Them. Booklet researched and assembled by Ken Morrison. Published by Crossmichael Heritage Centre, price £5. Available from Smart's Bookshop and from Crossmichael Shop.
Crossmichael Graveyard Tours. Booklet containing details of a selection of gravestones in the church graveyard, chosen for their particular historical interest, together with a map showing their locations. Published by Crossmichael Heritage Centre, price £1. Available from Crossmichael Shop.
All publications are also available from the Heritage Centre during opening hours. In case of difficulty obtaining copies, please contact John Nelson: 01556 670691 or johnnelson007@btinternet.com.
We also have available copies of various old maps of Crossmichael:
To buy any of these, contact John Nelson
The Heritage Centre opened in 2019 and was the outcome of the Crossmichael Community Heritage and Living History Project, funded initially by grants from the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership and LEADER. These paid for assembly of displays, for other exhibition, research and archival infrastructure, and for comprehensive renovation of the Hearse Hoose.
We are glad to express here our gratitude for their generous support and we also acknowledge with thanks the ongoing support and help of the church authorities and congregation, of Crossmichael School and of the wider Crossmichael community. The project has been a great volunteer effort. We would welcome more volunteers. But whether or not this is for you, there are several ways in which you can help us in the future: See How You Can Help .