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His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited Hexham's unique 14th century Old Gaol on Friday 30th September, following major restoration and refurbishment.
The Duke, accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, was greeted on his arrival by The High Sheriff of Northumberland, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Tynedale Council and the Deputy Mayor of Hexham. The Chairman of the Historic Hexham Trust, Richard Boaden, escorted His Royal Highness to the Old Gaol where costumed re-enactors recreated the life and times of Tudor England. His Royal Highness met representatives from the trustees, professionals involved with the project, and funders during the course of his tour of the building.
The £1.5 million scheme, which includes the Moothall, was led by the Historic Hexham Trust who raised the funding, including a grant of over £900,00 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Trust will lease the buildings from Tynedale Council, who also managed the project on behalf of the Trust.
Hexham's Old Gaol was built in 1330 by written order of the Archbishop of York, and is the earliest recorded purpose-built prison in England. From this date to the 1800s it housed thousands of prisoners until their trials in the courtroom of the nearby 14th century Moothall.
Major restoration work has been carried out on the fabric and roof of both buildings. In the Old Gaol, some exciting elements have come to fruition such as the installation of a glass lift to give visitors access to all four floors, including a view of the infamous dungeon, with its 20ft drop, and the reinstatement of the gaol's original spiral stone staircase, which was partially removed by the Victorians. New displays, hands on activities, a vivid Border Reiver raid film, and a new resource centre housing the Border Library bring to life an unforgettable dark world of bloodshed blackmail and treason.
Visitors can meet the gaoler and deputy warden as they send prisoners to the dungeon, find out what sort of punishments prisoners received in the Middle Ages, and see the reality of life in the Borders during the 1500s as family raided family. There's even a chance to try out the stocks and pillory!
Richard Boaden, Chairman of the Historic Hexham Trust said:
"The restoration of the Old Gaol and Moothall is the culmination of a dream for the Historic Hexham Trust. The project was made possible by funding and support from a wide range of bodies. The Old Gaol has been transformed into a fully accessible museum for the 21st century, giving new insights into Border History. It is worth a visit just to experience viewing the dungeon and all floors of the building from the glass lift. The Moothall provides excellent community facilities for displaying art, curriculum-based activities for schools in the courtroom, as well as meeting rooms. I am delighted that His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, with his interest in history and architecture, was able to accept our invitation to give the re-opening of the Old Gaol a Royal launch."
Councillor John Lambert, Chairman of Tynedale Council said: "The Old Gaol and Moothall are well-loved landmarks in Tynedale, which played a crucial role in local history, the Old Gaol as part of the Borders March Law enforcement system and the Moothall as the magistrates court where prisoners were tried. We hope that these improvements will promote even greater use of the buildings by all members of the community, as well boosting the attractions of Hadrian's Wall Country to visitors and tourists from further afield."
Keith Bartlett, Regional Manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, said; "HLF funds projects that transform historic buildings and collections but also reach out to new audiences and provide innovative and exciting learning opportunities for everybody to enjoy. The Old Gaol is a great example of this commitment and is not only a fantastic addition to Hexham and the surrounding area, but also to local people and visitors."
The design team for the restoration project on the two buildings has worked together on a project both challenging and fascinating. The main contractor for the project was Historic Property Restoration Limited, a specialist conservation contractor based in the North East, which carries out restoration projects of this nature throughout the UK.
Architects for the project were Simpson and Brown from Edinburgh; the Quantity Surveyor and Planning Supervisor roles were provided by RNJ Partnership from Newcastle; Structural Engineer Patrick Parsons Ltd also from Newcastle; the museum designer was Alan Murray from Murray Designs in Devon; and the archaeological consultant Peter Ryder. The project was managed by John Garrad on behalf of Tynedale Council and the Historic Hexham Trust
Funding raised by the Historic Hexham Trust to redevelop the Old Gaol and Moothall included 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, English Heritage, LEADER +, Northumberland County Council, Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, Defra, Northern Electric, The Henry Bell Trust, The Manifold Trust, Patterson Ford, Garfield Weston Trust, The Northumbrian Water Pipeline Fund and the Lockhart family.
The Old Gaol opens to the public on Saturday 1st October 2005. For details of opening times and admission charges, telephone Old Gaol, Hexham 01434 652351.
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