£16m Northumberland distillery and museum creates “major” tourist attraction

The new multi-million-pound regenerative project, Ad Gefrin, Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery, which opened its doors for previews today in Wooler, has created a “major” new North East tourist attraction and is expected to transform the future of the local community and the local economy.

Five years in the planning and building, the spectacular Ad Gefrin project also represents the single most significant investment in Wooler and the surrounding Glendale area of North Northumberland in recent memory. Following four days of private viewing for the residents of Wooler, Ad Gefrin will open officially to the public on Saturday March 25.

Ad Gefrin’s “unique combination” of immersive Northumbrian heritage experience, distillery tours and tastings has been made possible by a £16m investment, much of it from the founders, Alan and Eileen Ferguson.

But the promise of its positive impact on the “critically important” Northumberland tourism industry has also attracted additional funding of £4m from Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, £1m from North East LEP, and £600k from Northumberland County Council.

Leader of Northumberland County Council and Borderlands Partnership Board Member Glen Sanderson commented: “I want to pay tribute to the Ferguson family and the team at Ad Gefrin for their vision, passion, and incredible hard work to create a first-class visitor destination and distillery which will boost and regenerate this rural economy.

“Ad Gefrin has highlighted the rich history of the area and will offer a unique, year-round visitor experience with huge financial spinoffs for local shops, restaurants, services, and employment. This is such a great news story for Northumberland and for Wooler and we have followed and supported the scheme every step of the way.

“This has included funding from both the county council and a £4 million investment from the Borderlands Growth Deal. More recently we have worked closely with Ad Gefrin and local businesses to shine a spotlight on the town and ensure that the financial benefits from the influx of visitors are felt by the wider community.”

The Ferguson family’s vision has already created 60 new jobs, with nearly half the positions filled by people living in Wooler, and the large majority living in north Northumberland, making it one of the largest employers in the area.

As a “world class” visitor attraction, the regenerative effect of more than 35,000 visitors expected in the first year will be “immense”, with the business uplift to the local rural economy reaching far beyond Wooler’s ancient boundaries.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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