Wooler named one of the best places to live in UK
Announcement comes ahead of opening of new museum and distillery
Last updated 24th Mar 2023
It's being described as the ultimate post-pandemic dream.
Living in the middle of nowhere, and still being able to pop out to buy artisan cheese or attend a poetry reading, is what makes Wooler one of the best places to live in the UK.
That's according to the latest Sunday Times poll, published this morning (Friday).
Eileen Ferguson is co-founder of the Northumberland town's new museum and distillery.
She told us: "You can come in for a coffee, you can come in for lunch; we've got a beautiful bistro. It's beautifully decorated, beautifully designed. The building itself has a certain 'wow factor', but that isn't all that there is - we've got fabulous people."
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It's hoped the opening of the new Ad Gefrin visitor attraction will help give local businesses a boost.
The £16 million development is set to welcome its first paying customers this weekend, and has already created around 60 jobs.
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Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “Ad Gefrin has highlighted the rich history of the area and will offer a unique, year-round visitor experience with huge financial spinoffs for local shops, restaurants, services, and employment."
The Ad Gefrin Museum, which is expected to attract up to 35,000 visitors a year, brings to life the largely untold story of the 7th Century Anglo Saxon kings and queens of Northumbria, whose Royal Palace at Yeavering, just outside Wooler, once attracted visitors from all over Europe, Scandinavia and as far away as North Africa.
The museum will offer visitors an immersive experience and displays of rare and never before seen Anglo-Saxon treasures from the British Museum and other collections, many returning home to the North East for the first time in over 30 years.
"That centuries-old link to the distant past and a timeless hospitality makes Ad Gefrin the perfect signpost to Wooler’s future", Eileen added. “The wholehearted support and enthusiasm of the people of Wooler have carried us through all the challenges and milestones, and we are delighted that so many local people have become so involved in helping to make Ad Gefrin the success we know it will be.”
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The overall winner for the North and North East of England in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2023 is Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear, while Dunkeld in Perthshire was named the best place in Scotland.
Are you involved in a new venture you'd like to share on the radio, or have you uncovered an interesting story about our region's past? Email our reporter: ally.mcgilvray@bauermedia.co.uk