Enterprise of the month

There are some innovative people in and around Northumberland National Park. On this page we highlight some of the businesses or community enterprises whose great ideas about sustainable living and working are contributing to the National Park's purposes of conservation, understanding and enjoyment.

Bellingham Heritage Centre Brings a Rural and Industrial Past to Life

The award-winning Heritage Centre at Bellingham is a vibrant museum run entirely by local volunteers on the site of the former railway station.

It's clever displays chart the rural and industrial past of the people of the North Tyne valley and Redesdale. From the lawless days of the Border Reivers in the Middle Ages, through long-standing farming traditions, the rise and fall of the local iron industry and the heydey of Bellingham as an important market town with its busy station on the Border Counties Railway, the voices and experiences of the people who lived and worked here are brought to life .

Continuously refreshing its presentation to visitors, the Centre has just taken delivery of two historic railway carriages which are being lovingly converted into a cafe and classroom space.

A lively events programme runs throughout the year, showcasing a wealth of photographs, ancestor detail, artefacts, art, music and traditions.

This is just one aspect of Bellingham's energetic community and the warm welcome it offers to visitors.