New look heritage centre
Feb 1 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal
MAJOR work that will revitalise a tourist attraction in a Northumberland village is under way.
Work has begun on the £350,000 project at Station Yard, in Bellingham, which includes an extension of the heritage centre to incorporate additional display space and a new reception.
The work will also see the tourist information centre relocate from Fountain Cottage in the village to the heritage centre, thus creating a “central hub” for tourists.
Lesley Allen, of the North Tyne and Redesdale Community Partnership, which owns Station Yard, said the improvements were good news for the village.
She said: “The heritage centre is a museum and they have been given lots of exhibits over the years so their collections are growing and growing. They have had all these things but nowhere to put them, but now the extra space will allow them to be displayed.
“Another good thing is that it will form a bit of a tourist hub – it will make things much easier for people visiting the village.”
Moving the tourist information centre to the same site as the heritage centre will give volunteers from the centre more time to concentrate on the museum. The project received £169,000 funding from the Northumberland Strategic Partnership, as well as £65,000 from Tynedale District Council.
Council leader Michael Walton said: “The developments at Bellingham Station Yard will help make the North Tyne and Redesdale Community Partnership and the heritage centre more sustainable.
“Moving the tourist information service into the heritage centre will make it easier for the community to use by extending the opening hours and giving it a longer opening season.
“The developments will also mean that the heritage centre will be able to display more of its exhibits, and I hope that this will cement it as an important part of village life, as well as attracting visitors.”
A biomass boiler will also be installed, fuelled by locally-sourced timber, making the centre energy efficient.
The council’s tourist information manager James Fell added: “As well as providing a longer-term base for the tourist information centre, the brand new facilities will help visitors to maximise their stay in the area and to appreciate all the attractions it has to offer.”
The project is due to be completed in May, with the tourist information centre moving in by the beginning of June.
