Crawick Multiverse History
The Development of Crawick Multiverse
Through the years at Crawick Multiverse…
May 1980
Where it all began
Along the upper reaches of the River Nith in Southern Scotland, the legacy of coal and other mining lies dotted across the landscape.
Crawick is no exception, and was home to an open cast coal mine in decades past. It did not produce enough black gold to continue digging, and so operations ceased, leaving the site abandoned.
The Duke of Buccleuch, who owns the land, explored options for restoration of the vast 55 acre site and saw huge potential. And so he committed £1 million to an ambitious project to take the derelict site and put it back on the map as a world-class artland and visitor attraction.
May 2005
The Vision
In 2005, The Duke of Buccleuch invited the world-renowned land artist Charles Jencks to the site and reviewed its potential not only for restoration, but a total transformation. At first glance he saw what he described as ‘dull ground, rocks…the end of nature’, but as he studied the site he saw a wealth of exciting possibilities.
Instead of seeing an industrial wasteland, he saw the bones of a marvellous ecology.
The terrain offered a ready-made meadow, a desert, a gorge and a brook. The dropping of excess slag had even created a ridge which offered panoramic views of the beautiful surrounding valleys. This, coupled with the breathtaking wider landscape, helped Jencks’ vision take shape.
May 2012
Work Begins
Work commenced in 2012, and as machinery arrived on site for the first time in many years, tonnes of earth and some 2,000 boulders were excavated, heralding a new phase in the development. These materials were incorporated into the design and make it the distinctive landmark it is today.
May 2015
Crawick Multiverse Is Born
In 2015 Crawick Multiverse was ready to open to the public for the first time. The site links the themes of space, astronomy and cosmology with a network of paths navigating features and landforms that represent the sun, universes, galaxies, black holes, comets and much more.
This beautiful and inspiring landscape has something for everyone, from art enthusiasts and scientists to the wider community.
June 2015
Community And Public Launches
Crawick launched with a spectacular week of events in June 2015. First came the community preview event, where local schools, pipe bands and choirs all came together to experience the Multiverse. This was followed by a spectacular launch event that saw sculpted costume, dance-theatre, poetry and over 30 performers taking the audience on a truly unique journey through space and time.
November 2016
POPPY DISPLAY FOR REMEMBRANCE DAY
Hundreds of local school children created a spectacular poppy display on site ahead of Remembrance Day 2016.
Around 400 poppies were created, with each red poppy made in memory of each local person who lost their life during WWI, WWII and the Korean War, and black poppies made in memory of local miners.
The poppies were arranged with assistance from an artist, and pupils from Sanquhar and Kelloholm Primaries, Closeburn House School and Sanquhar Academy took part in a Remembrance parade.
June 2017
COSMIC COLLISIONS LAUNCHED
After many months of designing and construction, a major new artwork by Charles Jencks was unveiled on site. Cosmic Collisions represents the birth of a billion new stars as galaxies collide.
A launch event was held on site with spectacular costumed performers. An exhibition accompanied the event called Cosmic Collisions: birth, rebirth and the universe and included a series of talks by some of the world’s leading cosmologists and architects.
May 2021
New visitor facilities
‘The Coalface’ opened to the public for the first time on the 1st May 2021. The name was chosen as a nod to the sites coal mining heritage and as this gives The Crawick Multiverse Trust a permanent base on site, we will now be working at ‘The Coalface’!
The eco-friendly building has an office, kiosk selling tickets and a range of drinks, snacks and branded item, toilets, changing facilities and an undercover exhibition space.
Along with the addition of The Coalface facilities, the carpark and signage were also updated and improved, all to enhance visitor experience at the Crawick Multiverse.
August 2021
Music at the Multiverse
As the Trust started to explore the future of the site as an outdoor events venue, August 2021 saw the launch of a 2 day music festival.
The family-friendly music festival known as ‘Music at the Multiverse’ was set in the fabulous Sun Amphitheatre in the heart of Crawick Multiverse and featured a variety of musicians.
Following the success of this pilot event in 2021, the festival has taken place annually attracting growing crowds and a variety of artists and local talent.
May 2024
Strongest Northern Lights in 20 Years
On the 10th May 2024, two of overnight guests were parked up to enjoy a peaceful night at Crawick Multiverse in their motorhome. The quiet night they had planned ended up being quite an adventure, and spent in the company of local photographer; Mike Bolam. Seeing an Aurora was something they had on their bucket list, and what they experienced that night was the strongest display of Northern Lights seen in the UK for 20 years. Quite a treat! Mike on the other hand has captured the aurora on a few occasions, but perhaps nothing quite as spectacular as this. More of the photographs can be seen on the blog.
Winter 2024
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES
As a seasonal attraction open to to the public 7 days a week from mid March to November, Crawick Multiverse is routinely closed to the public from December to early March. Visitors are missed during the winter, but from November 2024 to January 2025 new audiences were introduced to Crawick Multiverse thanks to several tv appearances.
The first appearance on tv screens was on the 29th November when Crawick Multiverse featured in Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out, then again on the 10th January on Monty Don’s British Gardens and just a few weeks later on 30th January on ITV Border Life with Sandy McCracken. Links can be found on the blog and are sure to whet your appetite for a future visit to Crawick Multiverse.
June 2025
10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRAWICK MULTIVERSE
2025 is a year for reflection, celebration and forward planning. 10 years on and Crawick Multiverse is a 4-star visitor attraction and a popular outdoor venue with a growing programme of outdoor festivals and events. It offers a peaceful stopover for those touring the South of Scotland in a motorhome or campervan. For others it is a much-loved local park for family outings, quiet strolls and dog-walks.
Some of the highlights include being added to Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in April 2024 and achieving the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership’s Biosphere Certification Mark recognising our commitment to sustainability in May 2025.
Anniversary celebrations will take place on the 21st June 2025 with sunrise celebrations, wellbeing sessions and a family-friendly Falconry display in the Sun Amphitheatre. The summer programme also includes outdoor performances and open-air theatre shows.
Looking ahead, there are plans to add power to the site and to explore the potential of robotic mowers to support the maintenance of the 55-acre art land and many more ideas about how to further develop the site.
The Crawick Multiverse Trust is a charity registered in Scotland (no. SC039940) and company limited by guarantee (company registration number no. SC349562).
Registered office 32-34 High Street, Sanquhar, Dumfries And Galloway, DG4 6BL
© 2025 Crawick Multiverse
Registered office 32-34 High Street, Sanquhar, Dumfries And Galloway, DG4 6BL
© 2025 Crawick Multiverse
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