New Lanark Heritage Site: Open Doors Days

As a historic hub of learning and leisure, New Lanark World Heritage Site is delighted to be taking part in ‘Doors Open Days’. Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates heritage and the built environment.  It offers free access to over a thousand venues across the country throughout September, every year. It allows visitors to see lots of new and different places that are not always open to the public.

New Lanark is taking part in Doors Open Day on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th September when their Counting House will be open to the public for a textile-themed tour. Visitors will be able to see New Lanark’s working Carding Machine in action for free.The guide will also take visitors to see New Lanark’s historic spinning mule, which is still in production spinning luxury yarn.

On Saturday 29th September, visitors are invited to take part in an expert-led, hands-on workshop to learn about the traditional skills of Stonemasonry. John Henderson of HRH Stonemasonry Ltd, who is undertaking restoration works within the village, will explain about this traditional skill and some of the techniques involved. Visitors will then be shown how to dress, tool and polish a stone.

John Henderson commented: “Working as a stonemason gives you the best of both worlds.  Conserving  some of the most important building in Scotland and beyond and using your skills to teach others to continue a very traditional craft”. 

There will also be Slating Demonstrations, outside The Institute from 11am-3pm. Slate roofs are an important feature of New Lanark village, and Doors Open Day will allow visitors to try their hand at this Traditional Building Skill of Slating including nailing and trimming slates from a local Slating Contractor. 

All staff and volunteers on site during Doors Open Days will be in historic costume which will create a wonderful atmosphere, and once guests have completed the aforementioned tours, they can enjoy a full day out exploring the award-winning New Lanark Visitor Attraction, followed by a  visit to the GAME PLAN exhibition, or enjoy a woodland walk in the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve and a visit to the Mill Café, for a bite to eat, finishing at the Mill Shop for some retail therapy. A visit can be made even more memorable by adding on an overnight stay or special break at New Lanark Mill Hotel, Hostel or self-catering Waterhouses.

Tickets for this event must be booked in advance via Eventbrite. Please note that the rest of the site will require an entrance fee – for more information please call Tel: 01555 661 345