Roof restoration work begins on Grade II listed Blandford House, home to Discovery Museum
"The Museum Estate and Development Fund enables museums to undertake essential work to safeguard them for the future generations and it is great to see the investment’s positive impact.”
Essential restoration work has begun on the roof of Newcastle’s Discovery Museum and Tyne & Wear Archives housed in the Grade II listed Blandford House on Blandford Square – thanks to a £3,079,042 grant secured by North East Museums from the DCMS Museum Estate and Development Fund which is administered by Arts Council England.
Newcastle City Council, which owns the building, is also contributing £865,000 in Accelerated Development Zone proceeds towards work on the brickwork and windows while scaffolding is in place.
Rebecca Ball, Area Director North, Arts Council England said:
“We’re pleased to hear that the roof repairs to Blandford House, home to Discovery Museum, are underway and that this amazing building will now be able to continue to welcome both the local community and visitors to enjoy the museum’s collections.
“The Museum Estate and Development Fund enables museums to undertake essential work to safeguard them for the future generations and it is great to see the investment’s positive impact.”
"Like all buildings it requires maintenance to keep it in good condition and safe for people to visit, that’s why the council is happy to contribute towards the restoration of the roof."
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Karen Kilgour, said:
“Blandford House that houses the Discovery Museum has been part of our city since 1899 and has fulfilled various roles down the years as a warehouse and headquarters of the Cooperative Wholesale Society.
“It attracts over 300,000 visits a year as the region’s premier science, maritime and local history museum, and plays an important part in telling the story of our city to visitors of all ages.
“However, like all buildings it requires maintenance to keep it in good condition and safe for people to visit, that’s why the council is happy to contribute towards the restoration of its roof.
“At six storeys high this will be a challenging project, but I am confident that when it’s complete the building will be well equipped to deal with future generations of visitors.”
“We’re very grateful to the Arts Council England Museum Estates Development Fund and Newcastle City Council for their support"
The museum and Tyne & Wear Archives will remain open to the public throughout the whole process, with the occasional short closure for necessary work. The restoration project should be finished by spring 2027.
Keith Merrin, Director of North East Museums, said:
“This magnificent building reflects the story of Newcastle itself, well before the museum was established here.
“We’re very grateful to the Arts Council England Museum Estates Development Fund and Newcastle City Council for their support in the preservation of the listed building for future generations of the area to enjoy.”
“The museum and archives will remain open – it's business as usual for our visitors, staff and communities. Please bear with us while we undertake this necessary work.”
The museum is open as usual - any closures will be shared on the museum website and social channels
The work is being undertaken by Howarth Litchfield Architects and Todd Milburn with John Flowers Ltd as contractors.
Contractors are now on site at the museum, and high protective hoardings will be built around the building.
Parking in Blandford Square will be affected, and people travelling to the museum by car are advised to use the Grainger Town multi-storey car park on Waterloo Street.
Any closure updates will be on the museum website and social channels, so it’s recommended to check before travelling to the museum.
The towering Victorian structure of Blandford House was once the headquarters of the Cooperative Wholesale Society
About Blandford House
The towering Victorian structure of Blandford House was once the headquarters of the Cooperative Wholesale Society (CWS), finished in 1899 by Newcastle architects Oliver & Leeson, and has been a museum since 1981.
The unusual roof features intricate copper domes and Lakeland slate roof tiles, with the magnificent Victorian/Art Deco Great Hall spanning the 4th floor.
Blandford House was a warehouse and distribution centre for over 100 Cooperative stores in the region, from Berwick upon Tweed in the north to Scarborough in the south. The building also included salesrooms and offices, grocery, clothes, shoes, furniture and stationery departments, and mock-up shop front displays.
Discovery Museum also acts as a central office of North East Museums, which manages 12 cultural venues across Tyneside and Northumberland, and Tyne & Wear Archives.
