The Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum in Wooler, Northumberland has announced it will open to the public on 25 March.
The upcoming visitor experience and museum will explore one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century – the 7th century Anglo-Saxon royal court of Northumbria.
Now known as Yeavering, the site was discovered via aerial photography in 1949 before being excavated between 1953 and 1962. It reveals the history of the people who lived and travelled there from across Europe.
The museum will boast loans from the British Museum and Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. These include a rare and elaborate glass beaker, square headed brooch and shield boss.
New visitor experience, museum and distillery
The glass beaker, a highlight of the British Museum’s early medieval collections, is one of the best-preserved pieces of Anglo-Saxon glasswork to survive.
“The return of those objects originating from Northumbria and the historical context provided by all of the loans will illuminate the intricate craftsmanship and richness of the culture to be found in the royal court at Yeavering – the jewellery, ceramics, weaponry and art on display were sumptuous – truly a ‘golden age of Northumbria’,” said the museum’s director Chris Ferguson.
“As the extraordinary discovery of Sutton Hoo unveiled the riches buried in death for the people of this time – the story of Yeavering, to be told at Ad Gefrin, reveals the riches found in life.”
The site is also home to the Ad Gefrin whisky distillery, Northumbria’s first legal whisky distillery in 200 years, as well as a bistro and shop.
Images: Ad Gefrin
