County council set to confirm Berwick Museum and Art Gallery staying at the Barracks

A report to the Cabinet meeting scheduled for May 9 is recommending approval to retain the visitor attraction as part of multi-million pound Living Barracks initiative, albeit relocated from the Clock Block to the eastern wing of the Barracks complex.

The famous museum and gallery is home to, among other items, the Berwick Burrell Collection – more than 300 oil paintings, watercolours and drawings by masters including Degas, Boudin and Daubigny, as well as locally-grown talents.

Alternative proposals put forward by Museums Northumberland for a standalone museum and art gallery for the town were carefully considered, but keeping the collection at the current site is the preferred option.

There had been concerns as to where the collection would be housed pending the creation of a new museum in the early 2030s and whether a town the size of Berwick can sustain two museums.

However, the report to Cabinet states: “It should also be noted that the two options are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The proposed cultural hub within the Barracks, depending on its success, could subsequently justify the development of a second, linked facility in the town to provide more gallery space.

“Such a phased approach would reap all the benefits of better aligning the collections in upgraded and more accessible spaces.”

Over the past two years, good progress has been made in taking forward the culture hub proposals within the Living Barracks – with an initial sum of almost £5million secured to meet the total anticipated cost of around £12million.

With the next funding application to be submitted by December 2023, The Berwick Barracks Partnership had requested that, as a matter of urgency, the county council make a final decision as to whether or not the Berwick collections are to form part of the initiative.

The Cabinet report recommends that the Council ‘advise The Berwick Barracks Partnership of their intent to seek the retention of the Berwick collections within the Barracks complex as part of the Living Barracks initiative’.

A Museums Northumberland spokesperson said: “Museums Northumberland is committed to fully exploring these matters with Northumberland County Council in order to determine the most appropriate future for the collections for the benefit of Berwick.”