Heritage Centre Bellingham
Volunteer-run heritage centre in a former railway depot telling the story of the North Tyne and Rede valleys, with a railway-carriage tea room.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Heritage Centre at Bellingham tells the stories of the people of the North Tyne and Rede valleys through text, images, sound and objects. Its displays cover the social, agricultural and industrial history of the area, with a small section about the Border Reivers.
The centre opened in 1994 in a former garage on the main street of the village and moved in 2000 to a renovated redundant depot in Station Yard. In 2008 it was extended to include the Stannersburn Smithy and a new farming gallery. In 2011 a Heritage Lottery grant helped the centre buy two historic railway carriages, which volunteers restored as a tea room and a flexible learning space.
The centre relies entirely on volunteers and receives no local or government funding; admissions, sales, donations and bequests pay for its work. It also offers digital collections online, including a database of over 54,000 names.
Highlights
- Railway exhibitions on the Border Counties and Wannie lines
- A village blacksmith’s forge donated by his family
- Brown Rigg Camp School photographs
- Border Reivers corner with replica helmets and weapons
- Tea on the Train, a first-class 125 carriage tea room
Permanent exhibitions
- Remembering Railways – Railwayana exhibitions about the Border Counties and Wannie lines, and what has survived of the local station.
- Working Lives – Farming and mining history through recorded voices of local people, photographs and tools.
- Hot Metal, Reivers and local life – A village blacksmith’s forge with a film of him at work, a Border Reivers corner and displays on Brown Rigg Camp School and the photographer Walter Percy Collier.
- Founded
- 1984
- Operated by
- Heritage Group Bellingham
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Group visits are charged separately and arranged in advance. |
|---|
There is no set admission fee: visitors pay what they think it is worth, or visit for free. Group visits are charged separately because additional volunteers are needed.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The centre is on one level with a very gentle ramp from the car park and step-free access throughout. Two Blue Badge spaces are within 10 metres of the entrance. Ground-floor toilets include a wheelchair-accessible unisex toilet. An induction loop is installed and a portable loop is available at reception; a large-print guide and cushioned seating in the entrance area are provided. Many displays have audio-visual presentations, and some have visitor-activated audio. Tea on the Train has ramps to the platform, narrow doors and an evacuation chair. Well-behaved dogs are welcome inside.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
The centre offers activities for children and families as well as for school groups.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Heritage Centre (bus 680)
The GoNorthEast 680 bus runs regularly from Hexham and stops at the centre. Hexham can be reached by train on the Tyne Valley line, with the bus leaving from the interchange outside the station.
By car
Free parking
Free parking for all vehicles, with space for one coach and cycle racks. The centre has no electric vehicle charging; public charging points are within half a mile in the village.
- Accessible parking
Bellingham Heritage Centre is in Station Yard off Woodburn Road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Tea on the Train is a tea room in a first-class 125 railway carriage. The shop sells locally made crafts, books, maps and gifts.
Events & venue rental
The flexible space in the education carriage is advertised for hire, but venue hire is temporarily unavailable during the working day while the second carriage is being replaced.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Volunteer guides can host organised groups, and groups of 10 or more should book in advance. Educational visits cover local studies, the two world wars, coal mining and iron, and the Border Reivers, and the centre lends memory boxes and offers guided walks. |
