Visitor Boost For English Heritage North East
The region's less than perfect weather appears not to have put people off visiting Northumberland's Lindisfarne Priory and Prudhoe Castle, which have opened their doors to a combined 143,300 visitors during the past 12 months.
Lindisfarne Priory - situated on Holy Island - has attracted the lion's share of this figure with 111,300 people visiting; an increase of 8,000 when compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, Prudhoe Castle has successfully chalked up visitor numbers of 32,000, which represents an impressive 33% rise.
Of the encouraging statistics, Victoria Provo, marketing manager for English Heritage North East, said: "More and more people are waking up to what the North East has to offer and as a result, they are taking the time to visit which is fantastic. The region is becoming increasingly well-known worldwide as an exciting cultural destination, which can only benefit the work that we do."
Something, which has no doubt contributed to the visitor increase for both Lindisfarne Priory and Prudhoe Castle, is the significant investment English Heritage has made this year in the sites' exhibitions.
In March 2005, a new £25,000 exhibition was unveiled at 900-year old Prudhoe Castle. Updated for the first time in 20 years, the display includes over 100 previously unseen historical artifacts excavated from the castle grounds in the 1970s.
Virginia Arrowsmith, curator, said: "We wanted to raise the castle's profile among local people and encourage tourists to stop in Prudhoe itself rather than simply passing through on their way to Hadrian's Wall.
"Judging by the significantly increased visitor numbers we appear to have been successful in our bid to boost the castle's image and we are understandably delighted."
Meanwhile, English Heritage has ploughed £50,000 into its visitor exhibition at Lindisfarne Priory, resulting in newly displayed Anglo-Saxon stonework, pottery vessels used by monks and a stone gaming board.
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