The Bakehouse - Background
The Bakehouse is a double-fronted Georgian house in Gatehouse of Fleet, a conservation town in the Fleet Valley, south west Scotland. The town did not exist before 1760. The 'gait house' - a roadhouse near the river crossing – was the only building but by 1793 it was a thriving Mill Town with 160 houses and 1150 inhabitants. At this time The Bakehouse was built on the High Street as a bakery, shop and home.
About a hundred years later in the 1870s a big bakery and oven was built on the back. The building continued to be used as the town bakery until the 1970s. The oven front, which was installed by James Cruikshank Ltd., oven builders of Edinburgh, is still there as is the original eighteenth century fireplace in the lobby.
Chrys Salt and Richard Macfarlane bought the Bakehouse at 42/44 High Street, Gatehouse of Fleet in 2001 since when they have developed the old shop into a Studio for exhibitions and workshops, and the nineteenth century Bakehouse itself into a performance space for larger events including book launches, poetry readings and small scale theatre. The Bakehouse can accommodate audiences of up to 50.
The Bakehouse has become a thriving resource for the town and its environs tapping into local talent and importing talent from further afield. It offers high quality visual art and entertainment for locals and visitors on a regular basis.
The Team
Artistic Director: Chrys Salt
Literary Director: John Hudson
Financial Director: Richard Macfarlane
Board of Directors: the above plus: Lesley Whyte, Peter Marcus, Elspeth Brown, Deirdre Carlisle
Website: Ken Smyth
Bar: Christine Douglas
Scotland Celebrates Adrian Mitchell
Adrian Mitchell, who sadly died just before Christmas 2008 was one of poetry's heroes. The Bakehouse and Markings are proud to publish this anthology of poetry to celebrate his life. Read more.
A Crab in the Moon's Mouth
Elspeth Brown's collection, "A Crab in the Moon's Mouth", gathers work created for performance, special occasions as well as representing her deeply felt personal reflections on life, its suffering and joy. Read more.
Sins of Old Age
John Harrison is Artistic Director Emeritus of The West Yorkshire Playhouse. He began his career as an actor and worked with Peter Brook at Stratford on Avon. In a long career he has been an actor, director, playwright and poet. Read more
44 The High Street,
Gatehouse of Fleet,
Dumfries & Galloway,
Scotland DG7 2HP
P: 01557 814175
M: 07891 803027 (Chrys Salt)
M: 07801 801204 (John Hudson)
Email:
The Bakehouse
Markings
