If you like your museums to have a distillery attached, or your distilleries to have a museum attached then you are in luck with Ad Gefrin in Wooler. Opened in March 2023, Ad Gefrin is a £16 million project that is both a fascinating Anglo-Saxon museum and the first legal distillery in Northumberland. The museum covers what was known as the “Golden Age of Northumbria” which occurred in the 7th century. It was a period when this remote part of the country was a hotbed of art, learning and power.
The project was conceived by husband and wife team Alan and Eileen Ferguson, who had the vision to transform a derelict haulage site into a development with national and international draw. Their vision now brings in around 35,000 visitors a year to Wooler and employs around 60 people.
The building itself was designed by Richard Elphick of Elphick Associates and once through the entrance you are greeted by a huge barrel-like atrium lined with timber. There are over 9,000 pieces of timber and each one has been individually cut to fit. There are a number of parts to the building, the Distillery, which you will need to pay to visit, the Museum, which is free to visit, shop and café.
The museum is inspired by the nearby site of Gefrin, and displays many of the finds from the site of the 7th century royal palace. The palace complex was only discovered during a period of drought which revealed crop marks of the former buildings, including a Great Hall and “theatre”.
Some of the treasures on show in the museum include, the Castle Eden Claw Beaker which is on loan from the British Museum and the Great Square Headed Brooch, an intricately crafted piece symbolising the great wealth of the Northumbrian nobility. There are also necklaces, pots and loom weights to look over as well as information on the language used by the population and interactive displays on the Kings and Queens who lived there.
The centrepiece of the exhibit is a recreation of the Great Hall of Gefrin. Visitors enter the Hall, which is roughly to scale, and can sit and watch as a digital projection brings various historical figures to life. Each person explains their life, their struggles and position within the court, while a “guide” introduces them and sings songs about them. It is a very clever and interesting way to bring the court to life, and immersing you in the location.
Ad Gefrin has distillery tours where you can learn all about the Gin and Whisky they make there. The first single malt whisky won't be ready just yet but they do have a blend, Tácnbora (Old English for "Standard Bearer"), while their gin, Thirlings Dry Gin, uses local botanicals to give it flavour. If you want a bit of food to go with your drink, then you can take a trip to the Beodern (Dining Hall), which does lunch and evening meals. After all of that you can hit the gift shop, like we did, and take home some whisky, gin and chocolate!