'VENUE' 5 WELLMEADOW STREET PAISLEY
BRAND NEW VENUE - Join us on a public ghost hunt event as we investigate this beautiful old church for the first time.
What secrets will we uncover?
£41.00 PP. This includes tea, coffee, small snacks.
9p -2am
PLEASE NOTE YOUR BOOKING NUMBER IS YOUR TICKET. WE DO NOT SEND OUT TICKETS.
PLEASE CHECK OUR FACEBOOK PAGE A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE FOR WHAT TO BRING ETC.
Former Original Secession Church - Restored 2017
There have been a wide range of paranormal phenomena reported in the former church over the years, including - phantom music being heard, disembodied voices, footsteps being heard and also fleeting shadow figures being seen regularly. Will we be lucky enough to interact with Ebenezer, the first Minister? Join us to see for yourself!
For most of the time during the last three decades, this building has lain empty, but its fortunes have changed very recently with its extensive renovation.
In May 1885 a new congregation of the Original Secession Church was formed in Paisley from break-away group of members from the Oakshaw Free Church. Their minister, Ebenezer Ritchie was ordained in September 1886, but it would not be until 1892 that they would have premises of their own. Fundraising for a new church building began in late 1888 with three ‘bazzars’ held in the Town Hall, the first opened by Colonel T. Glen Cots. Meanwhile they held many of their services in the newly completed Liberal Club.
The congregation managed to secure the site a 5 Wellmeadow St for £670 and raised a further £860 through the first three bazzars. Further fundraising events were held between 1889 and 1891 at which point they engaged the young Thomas Graham Abercrombie at the start of his illustrious architectural career. The church was completed by September 1892 at a cost of £3,000-4,000, built in a plain gothic style externally in Auchinlee stone. Internally it was finished in white and yellow pine, with roof lights, and seating for 500 worshippers, and hall space for a further 300.
Rev. Ritchie left the church in 1894 with a desire for some “wider breathing space”. The church had a further 5 ministers before acceding to the Church of Scotland to become Wellmeadow Church of Scotland. It remained so until 1969 when the congregation amalgamated with St George’s East to form Paisley St Matthew’s, itself dissolving in 1988.
The building lay empty thereafter but was purchased in 2017 and underwent an extensive conversion to a makerspace for artisans from Paisley First. Since mid-2019 it has been used as an entertainment venue.
It’s pretty safe to say that the 19th-century congregation would have never expected or approved of that!
***OVER 18S ONLY***
***STRICTLY NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL
****NO PREGNANT LADIES
**** UNFORTUNATELY THIS VENUE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS. (2 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS )