After months of planning, and with nearly £1½ million funding in place, work is due to start on the restoration of Hexham's Old Gaol, which houses the Border History Museum, and the Moothall, both of which date from the fourteenth century. Long standing inmates such as the Tudor 'apple seller', imprisoned for selling underweight fruit are being released from gaol in order that the contractors can move in and carry out the transformation.
There to lend a helping hand were Peter Atkinson, MP for Hexham, Richard Boaden, Chairman of the Historic Hexham Trust which is leading the project, Councillor John Herron, Leader of Tynedale Council, which has supported the project and John Garrad who is the Project Manager for the scheme, with members of the design team.
Richard Boaden, Chairman of the Historic Hexham Trust said:
"This is the beginning of the realisation of a dream for the Historic Hexham Trust, which will culminate in the restoration of two unique fully accessible buildings, one of which will show Border History in a new light and the other which will provide excellent community facilities for presentation of art, research facilities and unique meeting rooms."
The Old Gaol, built in the 1330s, is the oldest purpose-built prison in the country. The Moothall was the place from which the Archbishop of York's bailiff held sway over Hexhamshire in the Middle Ages, strongly fortified against Scottish attack, and was later a meeting place for borough courts and county magistrates.
Peter Atkinson MP for Hexham said:
"This project will boost the image of these historic buildings, with improvements that will attract more visitors and help to bring benefits to the tourist economy of Hexham and Tynedale."
Councillor John Herron, Leader of Tynedale Council said:
"This project falls in line with Tynedale Council's strategy for creating better access to and promoting greater use of local facilities for residents and school children, at the same time helping to make Tynedale a place that tourists want to visit. Investment in attractions like these helps to support the rural economy and promote sustainable tourism in the district."
Work begins on 24th May with the erection of scaffolding round the buildings and installation of portacabins by contractor Historic Property Restoration Ltd from North Shields, and is expected to take 36 weeks. The Old Gaol will be closed during this period, re-opening to the public in Spring 2005. A programme of access to regular users of the Moothall will be agreed with the contractors.
In the interests of public safety, signs and guarding for pedestrians and traffic will be erected by Northumberland County Council's highway team. The restoration works may cause some minor delays to traffic using the area around the Moothall and Old Gaol.
As well as repair work to the structure and the roofs, the restoration plans include the installation of a glass lift in the Old Gaol to give access to all the floors, which will replace the existing Victorian stairs. This will enable visitors to descend the 20ft drop to the medieval dungeon to view it from the prisoners' perspective for the first time. In addition, the gaol's original spiral stone staircase will be reinstated. Outside within the existing forecourt a new ramp will be constructed to allow easier access to the building.
Displays in the Old Gaol will be upgraded with more information on the Border Reivers, the way of life of prisoners in the Middle Ages, and interactive displays that will enable visitors to experience the stories of the Old Gaol in a more up to date way. In the
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Moothall, restoration work and improved access to the building will enable more people
to enjoy using the facilities, where it is planned to install a stair lift, improve the Lockhart Room, modernise the art gallery and develop the Court Room as an education room.
The design team for the restoration project on the two buildings is working together on a project both challenging and fascinating. John Garrad, who is Project Manager said:
"This is not the largest scheme that I have been involved with, but it is certainly the most interesting, proving that size isn't everything!"
Architects for the project are Simpson and Brown from Edinburgh; the Quantity Surveyor and Planning Supervisor is RNJ Partnership from Newcastle; Structural Engineer Patrick Parsons Ltd also from Newcastle; the museum designer is Alan Murray from Murray Designs in Devon; and the archaeological consultant Peter Ryder.
Funding raised by the Historic Hexham Trust to redevelop the Old Gaol and Moothall includes a £968,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant, together with further funding from a wide range of other sources: Tynedale Council, One NorthEast and the Northumberland Strategic Partnership through the Market Towns Initiative, LEADER +, English Heritage, Northumberland County Council, Catherine Cookson Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, Northern Electric, Henry Bell Trust, Manifold Trust and Patterson Ford.
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