£4.25m Overhaul Of Newcastle’s Grade II Listed Discovery Museum Gets Underway With Howarth Litchfield

Procurement is now officially underway for a contractor to carry out repairs to the East Block of Blandford House, a Grade II listed building, which was constructed in 1899 and hosts the Discovery Museum.

North East Museums, the organisation that manages Discovery Museum on behalf of Newcastle City Council, received a £3 million grant in March 2024 from the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) to support vital repairs to the roof, while also addressing external masonry and window repairs.  

The remainder of the funding required has come from Newcastle City Council.

Following Newcastle City Council’s open tender for a lead designer in late 2024 to get the works underway and undertake architectural design and cost management services from RIBA Stages 4-6, the award-winning Durham-based architecture practice, Howarth Litchfield, was appointed.

Howarth Litchfield, a specialist and RIBA registered conservation practice, has vast experience in the assessment, development and construction of buildings in the historic environment and several award-winning schemes to its credit. 

Commenting on the firm’s first direct appointment by Newcastle City Council, Howarth Litchfield director and conservation architect, Neil Turner, said:

“We were delighted with this appointment by Newcastle City Council, which was awarded based on our experience.

“We specialise in preserving, re-developing and repairing historic buildings so they can continue to be used successfully. In this case, we are involved in the detailed design and delivery of the project on site.

“Working on a roof six storeys in the air with an atrium on one side poses various challenges so an engineered scaffold design will be required and this formed part of the tender package.  Important archives will also need to be protected during window restoration works.

“The museum will be operational during the works and the scaffold design will determine how long the Great Hall will be out of action.”

Dave Pickersgill, technical director at Howarth Litchfield, added:  “Winning this tender not only provides an opportunity for us to add to our portfolio of conservation work, at the same time it means we can demonstrate our experience and flair for transforming old buildings to give them a new lease of life.”

Keith Merrin, director of North East Museums, said: “We are very grateful for the funding we have received from the MEND programme, which is administered by Arts Council England, towards this crucial maintenance work at Discovery Museum.  It will be used to repair the roof over the magnificent Great Hall, which is used for events, some of which provide vital funding for the running of the museum.

“It will also ensure that the collections housed in the museum stay protected from potential water damage to be preserved for the future.  The museum welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year, so it is essential we can continue to provide a great experience for them.”

Geoff Foreman, Senior Specialist – Project Manager from the Capital Investment and Growth team at Newcastle City Council, said: “Following a nationally competitive procurement process, I am delighted to welcome Howarth Litchfield Architects as the lead designer for the Discovery Museum’s roof and external fabric restoration.

“The Discovery Museum, housed in the iconic Grade II-listed Blandford House, is one of Newcastle’s most cherished cultural landmarks and a favourite destination for families across the region.

“The work that Howarth Litchfield and their team will undertake is vital to preserving the building’s historic character and ensuring its continued use and enjoyment for generations to come.”

The restoration of the building is scheduled for completion in August 2026.

Adelphi Structural Engineers and Todd Milburn, cost consultants, have been employed through Howarth Litchfield to provide input into the detailed design while the project is being prepared for procurement.