Bailiffgate museum team takes on stewardship of the Northumberland Hall in Alnwick ahead of £5.7m restoration

Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery is relocating to the Grade I listed venue on the Market Place, with work set to begin in the new year.

The project will both safeguard an important historic building and create a revitalised cultural destination in the town centre.

It is included in Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, a well-established mechanism for identifying sites that would benefit from focused support and specialist advice.

Bailiffgate Museum, in a statement, said: “We are already working closely with partners to ensure that the building is carefully conserved and brought back into full and sustainable use and we will have a management and maintenance plan in place to ensure the building is well cared for in the future.

“Inclusion on the Register provides access to valuable expertise and guidance, and we welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively to secure the long-term future of the hall.

"The project will address current issues as part of a wider programme of investment, ensuring that the building is preserved and enhanced for the benefit of the community and visitors alike.

“This project represents a significant opportunity to secure the long-term future of Northumberland Hall, bringing it back into active use and ensuring it is properly cared for.

“We are committed to being open about this process and confident that the outcome will be a well-conserved, accessible building that serves both residents and visitors to Alnwick.”

Bailiffgate Museum has secured over £4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and up to £1.7m from the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, as well as council funding, to create the new museum and expand its offer and activities.

Initial works to the interior of the building took place at the end of last year, with specialist conservation contractors starting the process of drying out the building through removal and stabilisation of some internal plasterwork, as well as carrying out further investigation into water ingress on the first floor and assessment of timber rot.

It is hoped to complete the restoration by 2028.

Northumberland Hall dates back to 1826, and was built by the Third Duke of Northumberland. It has previously been used as Alnwick’s Assembley Rooms.