Museums transfer to Woodhorn Trust - August 6th 2010

The management of three historic museums in Northumberland has recently transferred from the county council to the Woodhorn Trust, in a move aimed at sharing and consolidating expertise, while ensuring a more efficient and cost effective operation into the future. The Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, The Old Gaol and Moothall in Hexham and the historic Berwick Museum and Art Gallery are all thriving centres for local history, each telling exciting stories of heritage in their areas.

Housed in Morpeth's medieval Chantry buildings since 1987, the Bagpipe Museum is home to a unique anthology, the foundation of which is the bagpipe collection of William Alfred Cocks (1892 - 1971), a clockmaker from Ryton, near Newcastle. This unique museum specialises in the history and development of Northumbrian Small Pipes and their music. They are set in the context of bagpipes around the world - from India to Inverness.

The Old Gaol was England’s first recorded purpose-built prison, built by order of the Archbishop of York in 1333. Now a fully accessible, modern museum with hands on displays, the Old Gaol is set over four floors and packed with information. Visitors can explore the treatment and punishments of the prisoners in a medieval gaol, experience the lives of the Border Reivers, warring families on the English Scottish border in Tudor times, and discover more about the history of the area.

Also transferring in Hexham is the Moothall – originally the entrance gateway to the Archbishop of York’s buildings, the subsequent structure housed a courtroom for prisoners from the Gaol. The ground floor is now used as an Art Gallery and the upper floor let out to a dancing school and for community use.

In Berwick, the original town museum was founded in 1867 by members of the Berwickshire Naturalists, and by the 1880s it was set up in Marygate near the Town Hall. In 1985 it moved to the iconic Berwick Barracks – the first purpose built barracks in Britain – from where it still provides a fascinating look at the historic town, including a mediaeval story and examples of treasures collected by millionaire Sir William Burrell.

The Woodhorn Trust was set up in 2009 and runs the award winning Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archive Service based at Woodhorn and Berwick Record Office. It is a key part of the regional and national museums infrastructure and its charity status allows it to access a range of funding sources for museum development.

Keith Merrin, director of the Woodhorn Trust added: “Through our partnership working we have a good understanding of the importance of the area’s history to local people and visitors.

“We hope to be able to bring some of our experience in welcoming over 100,000 visitors each year at Woodhorn to these three museums, and help consolidate them as important cultural venues in their town.”

Northumberland County Council will retain its strategic responsibility for heritage in the county and ownership of the museum collections will remain with the council, or existing private depositors.