Last weekend (7 & 8 September 2019) was Doors Open Day in Paisley which included Paisley Abbey and the Drain. For the second year running Renfrewshire Council opened the Drain for guided tours for 50 lucky people who had entered the Council’s on-line ballot (over 850 people entered the ballot this year). We were very busy on both days as a number of ‘new’ buildings in Paisley were open on Saturday and the Abbey was open on Sunday afternoon (usually it is only open for Services on a Sunday).
Preparations started on Friday as the site had to be fenced off, the Drain checked to ensure that it was safe to enter, water pumped out and temporary lighting installed. When this was completed there was a test tour of the drain with Council members as ‘guinea pigs’ which went very well. Then during a press call in the afternoon we had a surprise visit when local singer song-writer Michael Cassidy went down the Drain with his guitar and sang three or four songs including one he had written inspired by medieval musical notation and poetry that was discovered in the Drain during investigations in 1990. This was filmed by the University of the West of Scotland as part of the Big Dig project and by Paisley FM.
On Saturday and Sunday the fencing round the Drain access point was decorated with murals created by local community groups based on elements found in the Drain, the history of Paisley Abbey and the Town. We also had some of the artefacts recovered from the Big Dig excavation from the summer on display and a sand pit where kids could try their hand at being archaeologists. The Council also provide tablets with an app that shows the architectural detail of the Drain for those not able to access the Drain. GUARD Archaeologists and members of Renfrewshire Local History Forum were also on hand to answer questions and provide information on the Big Dig, the Abbey and other interesting archaeology and history of Paisley and the surrounding area.
In addition, in the Abbey DVDs and podcasts made by students and staff at the University of West of Scotland’s School of Media and Culture were shown in the afternoon including a new DVD of the Big Dig.
On Saturday visitors also got the chance to see how medieval people lived and worked as a re-enactment group demonstrated spinning, weaving stone carving and leatherwork and other crafts in tents next to the Drain.
On both days five tours of five people each were escorted into the Drain through a manhole with appropriate safety equipment. Each group was then able to spend 20-25 minutes in the Drain in the first section with the pointed gothic arch and there were lots of questions and discussion about the architecture, use of the Drain, monasteries and the mason’s marks visible within the Drain.
Overall the weekend was very successful with a steady stream of interested visitors on both days. Very big thank you to Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire Local History Forum and WI & A Gilberts for their help and support.