Hall reopens after £900,000 refurbishment

11:53am Tuesday 18th March 2008

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THE major refurbishment of Durham Town Hall uncovered two large windows in a room that has been converted into an art gallery.

They were hidden behind hardboard and discovered as part of a £900,000 facelift.

Formerly known as the members' room, it will now be known as the Burlison Art Gallery.

Tracey Ingle, head of cultural services for Durham City Council, said: "Suddenly, the room moved from somewhere that is quite dark and difficult to see in, into a beautifully-lit gallery space that is very quiet, but very close to the Market Place.

"It did have number of paintings, but we have reshuffled them and the artefacts to tell the story of the hall more appropriately .

"You can see a picture of the opening ceremony of the town hall, in the Market Place of the 1850s, and a number of Burlison originals."

The new-look town hall has opened after being closed for more than a year.

The mayor of Durham, Councillor Bob Wynn, reopened the hall yesterday.

He said: "It's great that I can serve my last couple of months as mayor in this historic building. The improvements add significant value to the building in terms of access, future use and the preservation of our local heritage. It's a great achievement for the residents of Durham."

The refurbishment features a new public entrance, with improved access for all, including a lift to take disabled people to the main floors, upgrading of the facilities within the building, including the kitchen, and enhanced security and fire-detection systems.