Volunteer-led People’s Museum awarded £4.3 million

We are absolutely thrilled by the announcement that Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery has received funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to create a new museum home within the centre of  Alnwick. Mosedale Gillatt Architects have been working closely with this volunteer led team since 2021 to support their vision which will transform the Grade I listed Northumberland Hall. The proposals include refurbishment and renovation of the building and the creation of inspirational interpretation of the Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery collections. The reimagined museum and gallery will be a vibrant base for new permanent exhibitions of stories of the town and compelling and exciting temporary exhibitions. The sympathetic restoration of this Grade I listed building is to be undertaken along with sensitive adaptation to provide access for all potential users. Alongside the main public exhibition spaces, areas will also be provided for training, volunteering, outreach programme and the conservation of collections.

Tim Mosedale, a Director at  Mosedale Gillatt Architects, said ‘The design brings an innovative approach to creating exciting museum spaces whilst remaining sensitive to the constraints of the Grade I listed building – the design features a mezzanine floating within the main hall and a double height staircase leading up from the entrance. We are delighted  to continue our close working relationship with Bailiffgate Museum and look forward to seeing the reimagined Museum take shape’

Northumberland Hall was originally built in 1826 for the third Duke of Northumberland and has been under-used for several years. This project will see the Grade I Listed building revitalised and brought back into productive use. The transformed market hall will be a beating heart at the centre of a bold new vision to regenerate the centre of Alnwick, setting the stories of the people of the town and rural and North Northumberland front and centre. Subject to approval of other funding bids the project is set to get underway in winter 2025 with work to the interior of the building, prior to the main construction project beginning in late Spring 2026.

A volunteer run, operated and led charity, Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery is supported by NLHF funding at a critical point in its development. Through the dedication of it’s volunteers the award-winning museum has grown significantly in reputation, scope and reach over the last decade. A move to Northumberland Hall will help continue this growth, whilst supporting community ventures, showcasing local creatives, providing meeting space for volunteers and local groups, engaging new audiences, and growing visitor numbers.

Jean Humphrys, the Chair at Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery, said “Trustees and volunteers at Bailiffgate are jubilant to have been given such a significant grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to take forward the refurbishment of Northumberland Hall. We are local people, with a passion for Alnwick and Northumberland, its history and its culture and we are delighted to have this unique opportunity to make an exciting contribution to revitalising the town for the community and its visitors. I would like to thank all our partners in the town who have helped us reach this point in the development of this project including the County Council, Town Council, and all our other supporters".

Ivor Crowther, Head of Investment, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why we are proud to support the volunteer-led Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery with their “Heritage, Creativity & Community” project, thanks to National Lottery players. We are delighted that our funding will see the grand Northumberland Hall revamped and transformed into a new home for the museum enabling more heritage stories to be told and creating more opportunities for visitors to discover them. We know heritage has the power to further a sense of pride in place for communities as well as playing a significant role in boosting the local economy and aiding wider regeneration, and this project is sure to do just that.”