Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Museum

26/08/2026

🎹 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗷𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿...

Some of you may remember that our historic pipe organ was recently removed from the museum so that it could undergo specialist repair and restoration work.

We were there to capture some of the process as the organ was carefully dismantled and taken out of the building, and we’ve now brought the footage together into one video so you can see exactly what was involved.

It’s not every day you get to watch a pipe organ being taken apart inside a small village museum, and it was fascinating to see just how much work goes into moving something like this safely.

We’re very much looking forward to the day it returns to Crawfordjohn, ready to take its place in the museum once again.

In the meantime, enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the start of its restoration journey. 🎶

26/08/2026

🏛️ 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

We’re delighted that Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture will once again be taking part in 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 this September.

🎟️ 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬
📅 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟱𝘁𝗵 & 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿
🕐 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝟭𝗽𝗺–𝟱𝗽𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀

Come along, have a look around the museum and discover more about the history and heritage of Crawfordjohn and the surrounding area.

Whether you’ve visited us before or have been meaning to pop in, this is the perfect opportunity.

Everyone is very welcome.

Please feel free to share and help us spread the word!

31/07/2026

🎶 Our historic pipe organ is being restored 🎶

The pipe organ at Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Museum has been part of the old church since the spring of 1912.

Built by Henry Hillsen of Glasgow, it is believed to have been the first organ he ever built and installed. It was played regularly for more than 70 years, until around 1983 or 1984, when it stopped working.

When the church closed in 1987, the Heritage Venture took responsibility for the organ. By that point, the building had suffered badly from years of deterioration, including roof collapses, and the organ had been affected by falling plaster, dust and debris.

Now, after more than a century in the building, the organ has been carefully dismantled and taken away for specialist repairs. The restoration is expected to take around two to three months and represents a significant investment for a small volunteer-run charity.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped make this work possible. Restoring and preserving an instrument of this age is no small undertaking, but it will ensure that this important part of Crawfordjohn’s history can be heard once again.

We’ll share further updates as the restoration progresses, and we hope to mark its return with a special event later in the year. 🎄🎼

09/07/2026

🌿 A glimpse of Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Museum 🌿

Tucked away behind the trees and old stone walls, our little museum is full of stories from village life, local history, farming, family memories, and the people who shaped Crawfordjohn over the years.

It’s the perfect place to slow down for a while, step into the past, and discover a few pieces of local heritage you might otherwise walk straight past.

📍 Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Museum

🕑 Open weekends, 2pm–5pm

📅 May to September

🎟️ Adults £1.50 | Children free

Pop in and have a look around. You never know what stories you’ll uncover.

27/06/2026

🧺 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲

Before modern washing machines made laundry as simple as pressing a button, washing clothes and household linen was a full day’s work for many families.

In the 19th century, hand-operated washing machines like this one offered a more practical alternative to washing in an open tub. Made from wood and galvanised iron, it would have been partly filled with hot soapy water before the clothes were added.

Once the lid was closed, the handle was turned by hand, moving the paddle inside to agitate the clothes and help clean them. Still hard work, but a definite step forward from scrubbing everything by hand.

You can see this piece, along with many other glimpses into everyday rural life, at Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture.

📍 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗷𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Open Saturdays and Sundays, 2pm–5pm, May to September.
Adults £1.50, children free.

27/06/2026

🌦️ Rainy day? Why not step inside and explore! ☔🏡

Looking for somewhere to escape the showers this weekend?

Pop into Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Museum and discover the fascinating story of our local hill farming community, with displays, photographs, artefacts and history for all ages.

🕑 Open Saturday & Sunday | 2pm – 5pm

💷 Adults £1.50 | Children FREE

Whether you're local or just passing through, you'll receive a warm welcome from our volunteers.

👋 This weekend's volunteers:
Saturday: Dawn & Johnny
Sunday: Louise-Clair & Andrew

Why not make an afternoon of it? We're right next door to the Colebrooke Arms, perfect for a bite to eat or a refreshing drink after your visit.

We'd love to see you this weekend – every visit helps support and preserve Crawfordjohn's local history for future generations. ❤️

14/05/2026

📚 The Journey to School

Think the school run is hard work?

Spare a thought for the children who once attended Whitecleugh School, at the western end of Crawfordjohn parish.

In “the old days”, there were no buses, cars or heated seats doing the hard work. Children as young as five sometimes had to walk as much as **four miles to school** — and then the same distance home again.

For many of them, there was no proper road. Just rough, boggy ground, swollen rivers, steep hills and, in winter, snow-covered tracks. And after all that, they still had jobs waiting at home on the farm.

It’s a remarkable glimpse into how much effort it once took to get even an elementary education — and a reminder that rural childhood could be very tough indeed.

You can read more in the museum display, or in the **Stormy Weather** book available at the museum.

📍 Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Museum
🕑 Open Saturdays & Sundays, 2pm–5pm
🎟 Adults £1.50 | Children free

08/05/2026

A huge thank you to all the lovely visitors who came along last weekend — we were so grateful for the wonderful support and kind comments. 😊
Some of the feedback included: ⭐ “Fascinating” ⭐ “Excellent” ⭐ “Really interesting” ⭐ “A lovely hidden gem”
If you haven’t visited yet, we’d love to welcome you this weekend!

06/05/2026

🐑 From the Museum Collection: Hill Farming Life

Crawfordjohn’s history is closely tied to hill farming and the surrounding landscape.

This shepherd display gives a glimpse into the clothing and equipment associated with working outdoors in all weathers: heavy wool layers, a warm plaid or shawl, a walking stick or crook, and sturdy boots fitted with metal studs or irons on the soles to help them grip rough ground and last longer.

These practical details tell their own story of life in the hills - long days outdoors, hard ground underfoot, and work that carried on whatever the weather.

The museum preserves many objects, photographs and stories connected to rural life in and around Crawfordjohn.

📍 Crawfordjohn Heritage Venture Museum
🕑 Open Saturdays & Sundays, 2pm–5pm
🎟 Adults £1.50 | Children free

𝘼𝙣 𝙐𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙙 (first photo)
Jimmy Mackay was shepherd at Gilkerscleugh Mains Farm, Crawfordjohn in the 1950s. This picture shows him with part of his flock of Blackfaced sheep (generally known as “Blackies”).

𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙙’𝙨 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙 (second photo_
The “plaid”, a large blanket of heavy woven cloth, was part of the traditional working clothing for a hill shepherd. Wrapped over and around the body, it provided a measure of protection...

02/05/2026