Woodhorn Museum

19/10/2026

Looking for things to do with the family this half term? 🎃

There’s plenty happening at Woodhorn Museum, with creative activities, a Halloween trail and some special events to enjoy.

🎃 Pumpkin Trail | Until 1 Nov
Pick up a trail sheet and explore the museum and colliery buildings to find all the hidden pumpkins. Find them all and there’s a little sweet treat waiting for you!

🖤 Mining for Memories | 24 Oct – 1 Nov, 11am–3pm
Share your memories of Woodhorn to add to a beautiful community art installation to celebrate 20 years of the Museum.

🦅 Birds of Prey Display | 31 Oct, 11am - 3pm
Get up close to some incredible birds of prey.

Also coming up:

🎶 Backworth Male Choir | 24 Oct
Enjoy a special musical performance at the museum.

✨All tickets for Arborialis Luminarium have now been booked. Thank you for your incredible interest!

To plan your half term visit and find out more about about all activities - see the link in the comments below.

19/10/2026

📚 Free book giveaway at Early Years' Storytime 📚

Join us at Woodhorn on Friday 23 October for a morning of stories, crafts and discovery.

We'll be reading Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, learning all about bats, and making a wooden bat decoration to take home.

Plus, thanks to the National Literacy Trust North East we have 20 free copies of The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson to give away to attending families.

Find out more:https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/woodhorn/whats-on/early-years-storytime

18/10/2026

This October marks 20 years since Woodhorn’s major redevelopment into the museum we know today.

To mark the anniversary, we’ve been delving into our archives and uncovering photographs of Woodhorn's past.

Below are just a small selection of Woodhorn Colliery.

More to come soon!

16/10/2026

Join us this Sunday for a special one-off community dance performance presented by Eliot Smith Dance .

Created and performed by adults from Northumberland and the wider North East, this original contemporary dance work is inspired by the painting Spring Fever by Len Robinson from the Ashington Group Collection here at Woodhorn Museum.

Date & Time: Sunday 18 October, 1pm
For more info: https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/woodhorn/whats-on/eliot-smith-dance-presents-community-dance-performance

🎨 Meet our inspiration: Spring Fever by Len Robinson.

We’re delighted to share the painting our community participants have been bringing to life through dance! This humorous and heart-warming dance piece celebrates the spirit of the Ashington Group.

📍 Join us inside the Workshop Gallery at Woodhorn Museum on Sunday 18 October at 1pm to experience the finished piece. The performance will also include a short insight into Eliot Smith’s upcoming performance of PITMAN.

🎟️ Admission is free with a valid annual pass.

Painting: Spring Fever (1946), Len Robinson (1896–1987). © Ashington Group Trustees. Image credit: Woodhorn Museum.

This project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, with the kind permission of The Ashington Group Trustees and with in-kind support from Woodhorn Museum and North East Museums.

14/10/2026

*Last chance to enter*

Just a few days left to enter the prize draw to win an original Bob Olley painting.

Legendary South Shields artist, Bob Olley has donated an original oil painting entitled ‘Twisting Off’ to raise funds for South Shields Museum & Art Gallery – and you can win it for just £5.

Raffle tickets are available from our gift shop or online: https://shop.northeastmuseums.org.uk/products/raffle-ticket-bob-olley-2026

Draw closes at 5pm on Friday 16 October – get them while you can!

13/10/2026

We won! 🎉🌟

Woodhorn Museum has been named Best Accessible Museum in the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award 2026.

This national award, chosen by family judges, recognises the extra mile museums go to create welcoming and inclusive experiences for families.

It celebrates Woodhorn's commitment to ensuring families of all backgrounds, abilities and needs can enjoy their visit with confidence.

From quiet and sensory spaces, specially designed access guides and visual stories, and Sound Down Sundays, to an accessible play area, Changing Places facilities, free wheelchair hire and a range of resources to support visitors of all needs and abilities - accessibility is at the heart of everything we do.

One family judge said:

"This is a wonderful place for kids of the North East to learn about their heritage in a fun and interactive way. It's incredibly good value and everyone was welcoming and supporting."

Thank you to everyone who nominated us, visited us and shared their experiences, and to our fantastic staff and volunteers who work so hard to make Woodhorn a welcoming place for all. ❤️

📸 Photograph by Anne-Marie Hayes for Kids in Museums

07/10/2026

**Be part of something extraordinary at Woodhorn Museum**

From 24-29 October, Arborialis Luminarium is coming to Woodhorn, a monumental walk-in sculpture filled with colour, light and wonder.

We're looking for volunteers who'd like to be part of this special event and help create a memorable visit for our visitors.

As a volunteer, you'll welcome visitors, answer questions and help ensure everyone enjoys the installation to the fullest.

It's a fantastic opportunity to get a sneak peek behind the scenes, meet new people, gain valuable experience and play a key role in one of our most exciting events of the year.

Interested? We'd love to hear from you.

To find out more and to apply, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/yk2f67vc

06/10/2026

This month's 'scone of the month' is a seasonal favourite: the Pumpkin Spice scone! 🎃

Freshly baked and packed with warming autumn flavours, this homemade scone is infused with cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin spice for the perfect cosy treat. Soft, buttery and delicious served with a hot cup of tea.

06/10/2026

Today we mark the birthday of Oliver Kilbourn.

Born in Ashington on 6 October 1904, Oliver was one of the founding members of the Ashington Group, formed in 1934. He went on to become one of the group’s most prolific and well-known artists.

Oliver was one of the few ‘Pitmen Painters’ to spend his entire working life underground. His paintings capture the places, people and everyday experiences of life in a mining community – drawing on a world he knew first-hand.

You can see Oliver’s work, alongside paintings by other members of the Ashington Group, in our permanent display at Woodhorn.

“I was a damn good miner, though I say it myself. I was strong and I liked the life. That was the life I painted.”
— Oliver Kilbourn

Image: Old Man with Leeks c. 1940 © Ashington Group Trustees