Four new galleries have been created at the Discovery Museum

A �12.25m redevelopment project began at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle nearly four years ago.

Four new galleries telling the story of the River Tyne opened at the museum on Saturday.

The building has been restructured and the Great Hall refurbished as part of the ambitious plans.

Working models

The galleries represent the completion of a transformation made possible by �8.5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Story of the Tyne gallery explores how the Tyne became one of the nation's most successful trading rivers and the powerhouse of the British Empire.

It features a floor-to-ceiling display of ship models, alongside full size boats and a working model of the Swing Bridge.

The galleries show how the river has produced industrial, trading, maritime and cultural achievement along its banks.

There will also be a display focusing on the working lives of Tynesiders over the past 600 years.