Free visits with Lotto by way of thanks
NORTH EAST ATTRACTIONS WAIVE ENTRY FEES FOR NEXT WEEK
FREE entry to a host of North East attractions is on offer this week as a thank-you for the support they have enjoyed over the years.
The likes of the Open Treasure exhibition at Durham Cathedral and Cragside in Northumberland are currently waiving their entry fees as part of a campaign run by the National Lottery which has benefited the venues in the past.
It means, for instance, that those who have been wanting to see what’s described as the “world-class exhibition experience” at the Cathedral can do so for free until Friday, saving them £7-£7.50 each on the usual ticket price.
And all they have to do to claim free entry both there and at other participating venues is to simply show a National Lottery ticket.
The award-winning Open Treasures, which was made possible thanks to £3.85m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, has opened up the likes of its monks’ dormitory and underground kitchen to the public who can wander through them on a journey which takes in 2,000 years of history and ends with a display of treasures including St Cuthbert’s original 7th Century coffin, the gold and garnet cross found within it and the famous 12th Century knocker from the Cathedral’s doors which has since been replaced by a replica.
Cathedral exhibitions officer Marie-Therese Mayne said: “In addition to exploring our permanent exhibitions and the story of St Cuthbert, visitors will be able to find out about Durham’s experience of the 1918 Armistice in our special exhibition Armistice: Living With the Peace – all by just showing a National Lottery ticket on arrival.”
In the joint ‘pay-back’ for National Lottery support, other venues are following suit, with some opening their doors for free right up until Sunday.
They include Hadrian’s Wall and National Trust sites which are among the more than 24,000 local projects which have benefited from £1.5bn Lottery funding since the draw began in 1994.
Here’s where you can take advantage of free access this week but it’s always worth double-checking with venues ahead of a visit.
■ Baliffgate Museum, Alnwick
■ Cragside
■ Hadrian’s Wall and Housestead’s Fort
■ Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books, Newcastle
■ Eliot Smith Dance, Newcastle
■ Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
■ National Trust Gibside
■ Washington Old Hall
■ Durham Cathedral
■ Locomotion, Shildon
■ The Auckland Project at Auckland Castle
■ Darlington Hippodrome
■ Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage Scheme