Ambitious plans were announced yesterday to boost a North-East museum which was threatened with partial closure five years ago but is now enjoying a new lease of life.

Visitor numbers have risen from 65,000 to 96,000 a year at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, and the aim is reach 130,000 within three years.

Viscount Eccles, chairman of the board of trustees set up in 2000 to run the museum, said yesterday that it had been "pulled up by its bootstraps" and was now destined to go on improving steadily.

The first aim is to find £6.5m for repairs, mainly to the lead roof. The next is to create a library in which the public can see the museum's large, valuable collection of books and photographs, which are mostly locked away at the moment.

Other plans are to extend its cafe and shop, put on more exhibitions and have extensive landscaping done to make the widespread grounds more attractive.

Durham County Council, which ran the museum before the trustees took over, caused an outcry when it said it might close it every winter to save money, but that threat was narrowly averted.

Lord Eccles said: "The Bowes is the best fine art museum in the North, but people who come here can have fun as well as seeing wonderful paintings and objects.

"We want everyone to feel their visits are enjoyable and that they're glad they came."

Staff numbers at the museum have increased from 30 to 50 in the past few years. This has enabled more events to be organised to attract extra visitors and school parties.

Children under 16 are admitted free, and this has brought in many more families.

The county council has agreed to give it £450,000 a year for the next five years, with increases for inflation. This is much less than the trustees hoped for, but other donations have risen.

Lord Eccles said: "We are still grateful to the county for its support. We will seek extra income elsewhere. We run the place on business lines now and have to break even to avoid getting into financial trouble."

The trustees have applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the major part of the £6.5m needed for repairs and is expecting a decision in June. A number of other grants have also been requested.

The viscount, an engineer who lives at Moulton, near Scotch Corner, North Yorkshire, has been a life member of the Friends of the Museum for 40 years.

He said he was delighted to have helped its recovery.

"It really is a magnificent place. Everyone should see the Bowes Museum before they die."

Published: 15/04/2004