Ad Gefrin whisky distillery and visitor centre in Wooler to open in March

Ad Gefrin, the new £14m whisky distillery and visitor centre in Wooler, will welcome its first visitors on March 25.
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For co-founder Eileen Ferguson, it will mark the culmination of an extraordinary journey from the initial vision for the project in 2018.

“We set out to create a celebration of the Anglo Saxon Golden Age in Northumbria, with at its heart the Royal Palace at Yeavering, just outside Wooler, uniquely combined with a whisky distillery – home to Northumberland’s first English Single Malt,” she said.

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"Our ambition is to make Ad Gefrin a landmark destination that would appeal to the widest audience and to all ages.

Eileen Ferguson, Ad Gefrin co-founder.Eileen Ferguson, Ad Gefrin co-founder.
Eileen Ferguson, Ad Gefrin co-founder.

“Now we’re all incredibly excited to be on the brink of bringing the vision to life, and I am so proud of what has been achieved here with the input of so many.

"Huge credit goes to every single person who has played a part, however small, in delivering Ad Gefrin, from the planners and local authorities, the architect, construction teams, sub-contractors and trades, the museum designers, and the staff. We are immensely grateful to everybody who has helped to make this dream such a wonderful reality.”

The Ad Gefrin Museum brings to life the largely untold story of the 7th Century Anglo-Saxon Royal court of Northumbria through an immersive visitor experience and object displays including rare and never before seen Anglo-Saxon treasures from the British Museum and other collections, many returning home to the North East for the first time in over 30 years.

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In the distillery, visitors will be able to watch the fascinating production of the first ever Northumbrian single malt whisky, created from local barley. And in the Ad Gefrin bistro visitors will find the best of local Northumbrian produce.

Ad Gefrin has created more than 50 new jobs.

“From the outset the people of Wooler could not have supported the project more,” said Eileen. “Their wholehearted support and enthusiasm have carried us through all the challenges and the milestones, and we are delighted that so many local people have joined the team.

"In fact, we want the very first visitors to be from the town, so we’ll be offering a special preview opening for residents before our doors open to the public.”

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