An artist's impression of what the new Children's Gallery at Monkwearmouth Station Museum will look like. Courtesy Tyne and Wear Museums.
Monkwearmouth Station Museum in Sunderland is set to close this September to allow for a £900,000 redevelopment and restoration, paid for in part by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Seven new galleries will be created in the museum as well as work on essential external repairs and interior modernisation.
Housed in an original Victorian station building, the museum has a large collection of railway and transport artefacts and an 1866 railway station booking office.
“This is an extremely exciting time for Monkwearmouth Station Museum. The funding will allow us to secure the long-term future of the museum and to offer visitors an exciting new range of galleries and events,” said Helen White, senior manager at Tyne & Wear Museums.
The exterior of Monkwearmouth Station Museum will undergo essential repairs. Courtesy Tyne and Wear Museums.
The station was commissioned by the famous railway entrepreneur George Hudson and was designed by architect Thomas Moore, whose influence can be seen in many of the buildings of Sunderland.
“The museum is a great asset to the city of Sunderland and we are delighted that local people will be able to enjoy these new facilities,” added Helen.
New galleries in the museum will have interactive displays and improved access to allow local people and visitors to experience more of the region’s rich transport history.
Visitors will also be able to witness modern rail travel as Metro and regional trains travel past the Platform Gallery into the city centre.
An artist's impression of what the refurbished Platform Gallery with its views of the Metro and train line into Sunderland will look like. Courtesy Tyne and Wear Museums.
A new Children’s Gallery will allow young visitors to enjoy the museum and learn in a fun environment, whilst after school clubs and two dedicated education spaces will aid learning in the galleries.
“This fantastic project will really bring the museum to life for everyone to explore,” said Keith Bartlett, regional manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund. “HLF is dedicated to supporting projects that open up our heritage for local people and visitors to learn about and enjoy, and the new galleries and facilities, plus the improved access will be a great addition to one of Sunderland’s most interesting museums.”
The project will also be funded by contributions from Sunderland City Council, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, The Friends of Sunderland Museums and Tyne & Wear Museums Business Partners Fund.
Monkwearmouth Station Museum is due to re-open next summer after the completion of renovation work.
Alastair Smith is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance Student Writer in the North East region. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
