Museum restorations complete

DUMFRIES' oldest house has a new lease of life following restoration works. Specialist stone masons have been giving the Old Bridge House Museum some extra care and attention over the past month, repointing much of the building, giving it a fresh new appearance. Work has also been carried out on the chimney stack, roof, skylight and windows and the gutters have been repainted. Commenting on the restorations, cllr Tracey Little, chair of the Education, Skills and Wellbeing Committee commented: “These works are part of our programme of caring for historic properties within the town. “This building dates to 1660 and is right next to the River Nith so it has a number of unavoidable problems and is always in need of little bits of work to keep it in its best condition. These works will keep it in a good condition for the next decade at least.” The museum was established in the 1960's following the death of its last resident, Granny Black. At the time, Dumfries Museum Curator Alf Truckell had been inspired by the folk museum movement he encountered during visits to Scandinavian countries. That inspiration led to the creation of the Old Bridge House Museum, which has been welcoming visitors ever since. Cllr George Jamieson, vice chair of the Education, Skills and Wellbeing Committee added:“Walking across the iconic Devorgilla Bridge into the museum is like stepping back in time. “It is one of the many beloved museums we have in Dumfries with tens of thousands of visitors enjoying their time in this tiny house each year. We were very pleased that the works were able to take place without a need for the museum to close.” The Old Bridge House Museum Monday to Saturday, 10 am –5 pm, and Sunday, 2 pm–5 pm, until 30 September.