Bailiffgate Museum move to the Northumberland Hall in Alnwick now a step closer thanks to £192,000 lottery grant

Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery has been awarded £192,697 development funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to begin the move to the Northumberland Hall.

Detailed proposals will then be drawn up for a final decision on full funding of £2.5m to be considered in a second round.

Jean Humphrys, chair at Bailiffgate, said: “We are delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players.

"Northumberland Hall is a beautiful building in Alnwick which means a lot to the community.

"Bailiffgate has the honour and pleasure of being a step closer to bringing it back into use for the next generation.”

The project is titled ‘Heritage, Creativity & Community in the heart of Alnwick’, and will support the museum to bring in additional expertise and capacity to deliver specific pieces of specialist work.

This will include designs, fundraising, energy audits, activity and interpretation plans and also see the recruitment of new members of staff to support the transition to larger, more accessible premises.

The award winning museum, in St Mary’s Church on Bailiffgate itself, has grown significantly in reputation, scope, and reach over the last decade.

A move to Northumberland Hall will help continue this growth, support community ventures, showcase local creatives, provide meeting space for volunteers and local groups, engage new audiences and grow visitor numbers.

It is widely recognised that the Northumberland Hall, originally built in 1826 for the third Duke of Northumberland, has been under-used for a number of years.

It had several retail units on the ground floor until 2022. The main hall at first floor level is currently used as a wedding venue.

This project will see the Grade I Listed building revitalised and brought back into productive use with activity that aims to create a cultural hub that will encourage more people into Alnwick town centre and generate economic benefits for local businesses.

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We are delighted to support Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery with this initial grant to develop plans and begin their move to Northumberland Hall.

"Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will allow the museum to improve their offer and give local people and visitors from further afield the opportunity to explore the fascinating heritage of Alnwick.”

Last month, Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery was awarded £375,000 lottery funding to work with local partners to create opportunities for volunteering, employment, innovative work placements and skills development in heritage and also in other business-related sectors, as well as delivering skills and job-related training.

The aim is to work with the community to become a more diverse heritage organisation, led by volunteers for the benefit of local communities and visitors to Alnwick and the surrounding area.

Planning permission for a proposed revamp of the hall were approved by Northumberland County Council in January 2023.

Plans include a new main entrance on the north side with glazing to enclose the arched openings at the former fish market.

It is also planned to redecorate the original entrance, raise the chandeliers, refurbish the second floor to create a meeting/storage area and make various improvements to accessibility.