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Latest News
All the latest news from the Industry and the Visit County Durham Grapevine newsletter.
Kynren Acquires Flambards Victorian Village for Immersive Experience at The Storied Lands
13 Mar 2025
Kynren – The Storied Lands, the UK’s first live-action historical theme park, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of the renowned Flambards Victorian Village, ensuring that this extra-ordinary collection remains together and will be brought to life in a spectacular new show at the...
Read More about Kynren Acquires Flambards Victorian Village for Immersive Experience at The Storied LandsWork to restore historic Durham footpaths complete
13 Mar 2025
Work to restore an historic route past Durham Cathedral has been completed. Durham County Council has been carrying out extensive refurbishment on North and South Bailey, also known as The Bailey, in Durham City. The historic streets the name of which derives from being the outer...
Read More about Work to restore historic Durham footpaths completeWeek-long celebration of England’s tourism industry fast approaching
7 Mar 2025
English Tourism Week, the annual week dedicated to celebrating England’s tourism industry, is fast approaching with businesses, destinations and visitor attractions encouraged to get involved. Taking place from 14-to-23 March 2025, English Tourism Week sees the industry come together to...
Read More about Week-long celebration of England’s tourism industry fast approachingDurham announces first-ever Seven Stories pop-up on World Book Day
6 Mar 2025
World Book Day is always a special occasion, but this year, the city of Durham has even more reason to celebrate. In an exciting first, Durham will host the country’s inaugural pop-up ‘Two Tales’ from Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books. This transformative space will...
Read More about Durham announces first-ever Seven Stories pop-up on World Book DayThe Spanish Gallery hosts special guest Dr Lucy West to celebrate historic art
6 Mar 2025
The Spanish Gallery, an art gallery in Bishop Auckland, is hosting a one-off lecture with special guest Dr Lucy West, a curator from Dulwich Picture Gallery, to celebrate the loan of an important Spanish painting. Hung at The Spanish Gallery owned and managed by The Auckland Project, a...
Read More about The Spanish Gallery hosts special guest Dr Lucy West to celebrate historic artGreen Tourism Opportunity
5 Mar 2025
Time is running out to join the Green Tourism movement and get globally recognised for your sustainability efforts. Your first year of membership is fully funded thanks to Destination North East England funding. This fantastic offer ends 31st March 2025, so apply now to make a positive impact on...
Read More about Green Tourism OpportunityVision for future of DLI Museum and Art Gallery takes shape
27 Feb 2025
The scale of change taking place at Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum and Art Gallery is now clearly visible, following the construction of a large steel frame on the site. The new structure will form an extension to the Durham city venue, almost doubling its original size. Work to redevelop the...
Read More about Vision for future of DLI Museum and Art Gallery takes shapeTurn your bright idea into light at Lumiere 2025
27 Feb 2025
Tuesday 25 February 2025. Artichoke has today launched BRILLIANT, the national commissioning scheme, inviting anyone to create a new light work at Lumiere Durham 2025, the UK’s light art biennial.Produced and curated by Artichoke and commissioned by Durham County Council, Lumiere will take place...
Read More about Turn your bright idea into light at Lumiere 2025Weardale Museum Celebrates 40th Anniversary with £750K Grants
20 Feb 2025
In May the Weardale Museum will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary and what better way to commence celebrations than to announce we have been awarded two substantial grants worth almost £750,000 which will enable our contractors to complete the renovation of former High House Methodist Chapel and...
Read More about Weardale Museum Celebrates 40th Anniversary with £750K GrantsMore chefs announced for Bishop Auckland Food Festival
19 Feb 2025
The full line up of celebrity chefs for Bishop Auckland Food Festival has now been confirmed, as organisers announce who will be appearing on Sunday. County Durham’s biggest food festival returns to Bishop Auckland on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April, for two days of sizzling street food,...
Read More about More chefs announced for Bishop Auckland Food FestivalVisitBritain publishes inbound tourism forecast for 2025
18 Feb 2025
VisitBritain has today, 18 February, published its inbound tourism forecast for 2025, showing that international visits overall and visitor spending to the UK are set to increase on 2024 levels, although with varying rates of growth from across its major inbound markets. VisitBritain’s overall...
Read More about VisitBritain publishes inbound tourism forecast for 2025Voting open for North East representative at VisitEngland's Tourism Superstar Award
14 Feb 2025
Kynren’s head of volunteer casting and engagement is flying the flag for the North East in VisitEngland’s national tourism superstar award – and voting is now open. Wendy Wilshere is one of ten finalists in the prestigious national competition which celebrates the dedication and passion of...
Read More about Voting open for North East representative at VisitEngland's Tourism Superstar AwardStick Man returns to Hamsterley Forest for a family adventure trail
13 Feb 2025
Families can join a new forest adventure as the much-loved character Stick Man, based on the beautiful picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, returns to Forestry England Hamsterley. From February 2025 to January 2026, Hamsterley is hosting specially designed Stick Man activity trails,...
Read More about Stick Man returns to Hamsterley Forest for a family adventure trailCouncillors agree next step in major development plan
13 Feb 2025
The potential for thousands of new jobs in County Durham has moved a step closer, after senior councillors agreed to progress to the next stage in a development plan. Durham County Council’s Cabinet has agreed to take the next step in its procurement process, in its plans to develop land at...
Read More about Councillors agree next step in major development planA pit disaster commemoration, restored on TV’s The Repair Shop, donated to Beamish Museum
13 Feb 2025
A mining disaster commemorative serviette, restored on TV show The Repair Shop, has been donated to Beamish Museum’s collection ahead of the anniversary of the tragedy. The West Stanley Pit Disaster on 16th February 1909, claimed the lives of 168 men and boys. The commemorative serviette, made...
Read More about A pit disaster commemoration, restored on TV’s The Repair Shop, donated to Beamish Museum