Durham Museum closed due to rising costs as trust seeks new home for collection

A museum in the heart of Durham city has closed due to rising costs.

Durham Museum has been well maintained by the Bow Trust but requires expensive repairs, which will include a new roof in the future. Located in the redundant church of St Mary-le-Bow, near Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle, the attraction focuses on the social history of Durham City.

It has been part of the city for around 50 years, initially opening as a Heritage Centre before becoming Durham Museum and has been run by volunteers. Now, the trust hopes to find somewhere else to house the collection so people can still explore the history of Durham.

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Adrian Green, chairman of the Bow Trust, said: "We have taken good care of it and had some recent work done which means it is in good order. But the costs of carrying on are the problem and a bit down the line it will need a new roof.

"We have been a charity for 50 years and have slowly built up what used to be the heritage centre. It has been a fully accredited museum since about 1990.

"We have to accept that it is no longer possible to run this sort of museum on a voluntary basis. This had been the case for the people who were involved and committed for many years but they are now in their 80s and 90s.

"Today it is much more professional and people can be paid a salary. Someone was telling me the other day when they first went into the building they cleared all the pigeon poop out of the tower and sold it for 50p in plastic bags for people's allotments, you can't do that sort of thing now."

Adrian said the collection will need to go to different places but hopes that a new location can be found. He said: "We always got lots of out of town visitors and tourists but we didn't have local people. I think if there could be something in the Market Place, in the town hall, telling the social history of the city would be much better.

"I think trying to get people up to something near the cathedral in the middle of the university is a bit off putting. We are getting lots of support from the county council people and the university and cathedral team.

"It just seems a shame if there is nothing specific on the social history of the city. The great thing about the Market Place is it is already pedestrianised, people are down there anyway.

"It has been a really difficult decision to make but it could be potentially better in the long term if it was possible to do something in the town hall."

Durham County Council is currently consulting on a vision for Durham City’s future. People are being asked to suggest new locations for the new museum's items.