Extra cash for barracks museum revamp

Work to revamp an 18th Century barracks to open more of it up to the public will begin later this month after a funding boost.

The Living Barracks project at Berwick in Northumberland includes changes to existing exhibition and gallery space and new studio spaces for local artists.

An extra £1m has come from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and North East Combined Authority which will add to the £14.5m already raised

Andrea Selley, 57, operations director at English Heritage, said the new museum will be "interactive" and create "a really rich, interesting and ever changing exhibition that people can enjoy".

One of the changes will mean the gates of the barracks, which previously housed an admissions point, would be "freely accessible for people to enjoy".

Selley said Berwick was "incredibly rich" in history and the barracks, which include a museum space, were "really significant" to the story of the town.

The project includes combining the King's Own Scottish Borderers Collection, the Burrell Collection and English Heritage's collections to create a single museum in the east block.

Access to the upper floors will be boosted with a lift and accessible toilets will be installed.

The new galleries are planned to be ready to open near the end of 2027 ahead of the completion of the full project in 2028.

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