View image William A.F. Browne, who was Medical Superintendent at the Crichton between 1838 and 1857, wrote extensively about his practice and his views about appropriate treatments for psychiatry. Many of these ideas became influential through his publications, lectures and personal contacts. The Annual Reports of the Crichton Institution include another passage which offers a…
View image One of the most important innovations during the early years of the Crichton Institution was its introduction of concerts organised and performed by patients and staff. Performers were drawn from across the asylum, including several of the attendants (male nursing staff), as well as local musicians from Dumfries town. The first concert given…
🌳National Tree Week at The Crichton! It turns out that yes, there is such a thing as National Tree Week and we are celebrating it this week here at The Crichton. As part of our 100 year landscape plan, we are looking to plant more trees across our site and increase our biodiversity. Work is…
View image The Crichton Royal Institution supported a vibrant music life, including concerts, musical plays and, from the mid-nineteenth-century, a choir and band. Much of this activity is also recorded at lunatic asylums elsewhere in the UK, but the Crichton is unusual for its record, albeit brief and , of patient composition. This edition of…
Halloween is a fantastic excuse to get creative, whether you’re making your own spooky costume, decorating your house for a party, or coming up with a design that will win the office pumpkin carving competition. But you know what’s scarier that ghosts, ghoulies, or the prospect of losing the coveted office pumpkin carving crown? That’s…
For the past two months, we’ve been lucky enough to welcome Maddy Rosenberg to The Crichton as an Artist in Residence as part of the Sandstone Steps project in collaboration with Hugh Bryden and Roncadora Press. Sandstone Steps is an ambitious collaborative project that explores and celebrates the historical cultural flux that crossed and re-crossed…
The Crichton Campus Leadership Group has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a new Statement of Ambition, outlining its four key priorities which aim to ensure Scotland’s most multi-institution academic campus is a global destination. The new statement of ambition in available to view here. The Crichton in Dumfries is home to five educational institutions which…
The UCI Cycling World Championships came to Dumfries earlier this month, putting the town on a global platform. Coverage of the para-cycling races was streamed around the world by numerous TV channels and websites, but none of it would have been possible without The Crichton Memorial Church. Originally built in 1897, The Crichton Memorial Church…
The Crichton Trust is an innovative social enterprise based in the South of Scotland. We are looking to recruit up to a number of new Trustees to join us in leading #TheCrichton through our next exciting phase. We are here to protect, preserve, manage and develop buildings, lands and sites of architectural, scenic or historic…
View image A year after the first theatrical was performed by patients in the hospital boardroom emerged another creative venture from within the walls of the Crichton Royal: The New Moon. The inaugural issue of Crichton’s very own in-house magazine The New Moon or Crichton Royal Literary Register was published in December 1844, being the…
We’re excited to be the location for two days of para-cycling road races as the UCI Cycling World Championships come to Dumfries! While the time trials are taking place in the town on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th of August, The Crichton will be home to the road races and medal events on Thursday 11th…
View image Whilst poring over the rich variety of cultural ephemera collaged across the pages of Dr Charles Easterbrook’s scrapbook, I stumbled across this beautifully-printed copy of a programme advertising a performance of James Kenney’s humorous farce, Raising the Wind, that took place in January 1843. At first glance, the programme itself did not strike…
View image What comes to mind when you think of the asylum? Is it the image of the large, isolated, gothic institution, dark and mysterious, surrounded by spiked gates and iron-clad windows? Or do you immediately think of straitjackets and chains, physical restraint and neglect? Acquiring a reputation for being ‘dustbins’ for the imprisonment of…
We are looking for local choirs to join us on a collaborative project to create a virtual reality choir experience for those who might not have access to in person group singing. The Crichton Trust are working with CareReality, Alzheimer Scotland, and the University of York in collaboration on the ‘Virtual Choirs in Care Homes:…
The UCI Paracycling World Road Championships are coming to Dumfries next month and the town will be hosting a number of exciting races between the 9th and the 12th of August. The Crichton will be the location of the Paracycling Road Race, which means there will be significant access restrictions on site. Anyone is welcome…
Pictured (from L – R): Head Gardener Gary McCormick, COO Rachel Cowper and Maintenance Team Member Steven Carson at The Crichton’s wildflower meadow. The Crichton Trust are pleased to announce that the Estate has successfully achieved the Green Flag Award standard for another year, and is recognised as one of the very best outdoor areas…
When: Sunday 6th August Where: The Crichton Estate (visit Crichton Central on the day to find out more about what’s on) What time: 11am to 3pm Who: The Crichton Trust working in partnership with local organisations Come and join us at The Crichton Estate for a day of free cycling fun before the UCI Cycling…
We, The Crichton Trust, want to thank our Elected Members for carefully discussing the Ladyfield housing site today (8th June 2023) at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Economy and Resources Committee and noting receipt of the Ladyfield Masterplan, which was not presented to Members for approval at the meeting. We welcome the decision today to…
Following months of collaboration and engagement to create a masterplan for the Ladyfield estate in Dumfries, The Crichton Trust and Collective Architecture, are this month being recognised through various channels for their collective efforts in creating, what has been described as, an exemplar masterplan and a collaborative and engaging design development process, exemplifying the newly…
We’re delighted to be able to welcome four new businesses to The Crichton that have joined us over the past few weeks. With over 100 organisations on site, our business community is continuing to go from strength to strength with a range of new names. Savills A name synonymous with rural property, Savills’ presence in…