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Managed by North East Museums on behalf of Newcastle City Council

Roof Restoration of Blandford House

Roof restoration begins on the Grade II listed Blandford House, home to Discovery Museum and Tyne & Wear Archives

Roof restoration begins of Grade II listed Blandford House

Two men smile outside Discovery Museum. One carries white hard hat, one wears  high vis coat.
Keith Merrin, Director of North East Museums with Nick Butterley, Customer and Facilities Manager Discovery Museum

As of January 2026, Blandford House which is home to Discovery Museum and Tyne & Wear Archives is undergoing essential conservation and restoration work on and around the roof of the building.  

Discovery Museum and Tyne & Wear Archives remain open, and will be operating business as usual, so your visit should not be disrupted. 

Discovery Museum and Tyne & Wear Archives remain open

Looking into the Great Hall from a nigh point - curved girders and Art Deco lampshodes
Inside the Great Hall, Discovery Museum

However, the museum may close very occasionally at short notice, so we recommend checking the museum website before travelling to visit for any changes to opening hours.  

The Great Hall on the 4th floor will be closed most of the restoration period depending on the progression of the preservation work.

Parking in Blandford Square will be affected

A bubble floats past the Victorian façade
A bubble floats past the Victorian façade

Due to the scope of the work, you will see specialist contractors on site outside the museum and protective hoardings around the building. The contractors will build a self-contained compound outside the museum as their base.  

This will affect parking availability in Blandford Square so if you are driving to the museum we advise parking at the Grainger Town multi-storey car park on Waterloo Street. It is a three-minute walk to Discovery Museum.  

The museum is highly accessible by public transport, with train, bus and Metro stops at Newcastle’s Central Station a seven-minute walk away. For more information on getting to the museum, visit the Getting Here page.

Please bear with us while we undertake this necessary work

Blandford House in operation as the Newcastle branch of the Co-Operative Wholesale Society.
Blandford House in operation as the Newcastle branch of the Co-Operative Wholesale Society. Copyright, National Co-Operative Archive

Please bear with us while we undertake this necessary work to preserve this iconic Victorian building, an integral part of Newcastle’s heritage. We plan to finish this restoration by March 2027.  

We'll share updates on our Facebook and Instagram page over the course of the restoration.  

If you have any questions about the work taking place, please email us on info@discoverymuseum.org.uk.