The opening of a north Northumberland museum has received a big boost after it was listed as one of the world's most anticipated museum openings of 2022.
Ad Gefrin, a cultural visitor experience which will celebrate the Anglo Saxon 'Golden Age,' alongside the county's first whisky distillery, is due to open in autumn 2022 in the town of Wooler, on the edge of Northumberland National Park.
It is aiming to be a celebration and showcase of the unique heritage, ancient hospitality, contemporary crafts, arts and produce of Northumberland.
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And according to the Smithsonian Magazine, the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., its is as hotly anticipated as those of The National Museum in Oslo, Norway; the Museum of Modern Electronic Music in Frankfurt, Germany; and the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.
Chris Ferguson, Visitor Experience Director at Ad Gefrin said: "Apart from being amazing it’s an honour. There are some absolutely incredible attractions and museums around the world on that list. The National Museum of Norway, for example. They’re incredibly exciting museum projects and to be on that list is just brilliant. It shows that there’s something really exciting about the Anglo Saxons and Kings of Northumbria that’s capturing the imagination."
It is expected that the visitor centre will create around 50 jobs and put the town of Wooler on the tourism map. Northumberland County Council has recently announced a £650,000 investment in infrastructure in the town following the increase in visitor number during the pandemic, which is predicted to increase further once Ad Gefrin opens.
Chris continued: "I think it’s celebrating our local site and our local history and I think this is testament to us trying to create something that’s an experience and an attraction that Wooler and the region can be proud of. It’s gaining national and worldwide attention and for us to be getting that while we’re still in the planning and building stages is amazing. To be able to bring visitors to Wooler from all of that will only be good for the benefit of the town."
There is also a drive to support local businesses in the area too. Just last week, the visitor centre announced the winners of the Ad Gefrin Creative Design Challenge, which will see the works of local artisans go on sale in the visitor centre gift shop. The overall winner was Keith Webster of Ravn Clay Pottery, who made a glazed small pottery jug, said to be ideal for watering whisky.
The Smithsonian Magazine feature read: "In the mid-20th century, archaeologists uncovered what would become one of the most significant early medieval finds in North East England: a great hall and a series of other timber buildings that were once part of the royal summer palace for 7th century Northumbrian kings and queens, including Oswald of Northumbria, who later became Saint Oswald.
"The Yeavering excavations, as they’re called, were a part of an Anglo-Saxon “Golden Age,” a time of classical renaissance that focused on international trade and cultural exchange. These excavations and their history remain largely unknown to many. However, that’s all about to change.
"Opening this fall, the nearby Ad Gefrin Visitor Center will tell the story of this royal complex through a multimedia experience that blends audio-visual technology with archaeological artifacts—both some that have been excavated onsite at Yeavering and others on-loan from international collections. The center will be an immersive recreation of the great hall, utilizing projected films to bring to life the royal court and its residents."
To read the full article in the Smithsonian Magazine, click here.
