Museum looks to a Vision of the Future

Mar 13 2007 By James Barton, The Journal

One of the North-East's biggest tourist attractions, Beamish Museum in County Durham, is set to begin a £40m Vision of the Future strategy to maintain and build on its elevated position as a world-class open air museum. James Barton reports.

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Launched in 1970 the Beamish Museum has become a major success story bringing at least 350,000 visitors to the region every year. To support the progress that has been made, and to safeguard the future of such an important landmark, the museum plans to invest £40m on the 300-acre site. The museum is designed to vividly illustrate life in the North of England in the early 1800s and 1900s.

It has on accasion, during the 30 years since it opened, attracted up to 500,000 visitors per year. The £40m plan is aimed at attracting this number of visitors every year. The plan will in effect regenerate Beamish Museum in the same way the region's urban revival in the cities and towns has been stimulated by the influx of more than £1bn of public money resulting in attracting billions more private sector investment, creating of thousands of jobs.

Plans include building a £6m visitor centre, building a 300- bedroom hotel and leisure complex, developing new education facilities, enhancing the already successful historical areas and making more use of the landscape.

John Holmes director of regeneration and tourism at regional development agency, One NorthEast, believes Beamish is a key part of the region's future tourism strategy and is a firm supporter of the plans.

"Unique attractions can never stand still. Beamish is creating new interest and new reasons to visit a much loved museum. The visitor centre is an important milestone, which will set the standards for further developments."

Miriam Harte, director of Beamish, said: "Beamish is showing the way forward for major museums.

"It captures the dynamism of the region through its ability to adapt to new times and audiences while staying true to its core strengths."

The first stage of the Vision project is the development of a £6m visitor centre which will showcase the displays, literature, ideas and ways of life of the period.

Architects Benson + Forsyth were selected in November last year from 93 top flight firms following an international competition. The winning architects designed the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, the Wordsworth Trust Centre in the Lake District and the extension to the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. Their winning concept for the museum is for a visitor centre which hugs the landscape at the entrance of Beamish, making the most of the valley in which the attraction is set.

Mel Spedding, chairman of the joint committee for Beamish, said: "The decision [to choose Benson + Forsyth] is an important milestone for Beamish and its future.

"These designs provide a spectacular new addition for a museum that prides itself on its unique approach."

The museum also aims to create major new attractions to broaden visitor enjoyment. These include developing the areas that make up the core of the Beamish experience which highlight the best of North-East history.

They will bring new living history recreations to period areas such as the Colliery Village which has been central to Beamish's popularity.

The landscape to the east of the site is rich in ecological, industrial and archaeological interest and will be opened as an additional feature.

New attractions such as Beamish Wild offer the opportunity to see the North-East countryside and wildlife and will be associated with the Interpretive Centre focusing on the ecology, history and industrial archaeology of the area in the period mill building.

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of Durham County Council said: "Beamish is rightly strengthening the heart of the museum and adding exciting new aspects to make a great museum even more enjoyable. North of England people feel a personal ownership of Beamish, and pride in its success. They will support the museum's insistence that world class standards apply throughout the proposed developments."