
Comitti decision: the Perspex clock that’s fit for a queen
29 October 2024
Timepieces: blue watches are seemingly everywhere
31 October 2024A dram fit for a king
An Anglo Saxon museum with its own distillery… What’s not to like?
I t’s not every day that one discovers a visitor attraction that combines a distillery, rare archaeological treasures and a celebration of 7th-century art and culture.
Step forward, then, the Ad Gefrin Anglo Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery – due to open its doors in Northumberland on 25 March.
Its displays and exhibits will tell the story of the extensive Anglo Saxon site that was discovered at nearby Yeavering in the 1950s and the people who once lived there. Centred on the summer palace of the Anglo Saxon rulers of Northumbria, the settlement would have been quite the destination in its day.
Highlights of the venue include a replica of Yeavering’s Great Hall, where an audio-visual show will tell the story of some of those who once lived and worked nearby: from weavers and warriors to kings and queens. In addition, there are a range of artefacts both unearthed locally and borrowed from collections such as the British Museum and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
... a visitor attraction that combines a distillery, rare archaeological treasures and a celebration of 7th-century art and culture
These include rare brooches and weaponry, a Roman-influenced coin pendant and the Castle Eden claw beaker – a remarkably well-preserved piece of Anglo-Saxon glasswork.
Ad Gefrin’s director, Dr Chris Ferguson, is very much looking forward to opening day and adds: 'We wanted to create an immersive experience for our visitors because [the venue] is about much more than exploring history.'
It would be churlish indeed to dispute that… Not least because Ad Gefrin’s in-house distillery will soon be producing the first-ever Northumbrian single malt (while also becoming the county’s first legal whisky distillery in 200 years).
While we wait for that much anticipated event, the brand recently released a harbinger of things to come.
Called Tácnbora – meaning standard bearer in Old English – this is a smooth blend of Irish and Scottish whiskies whose name pays homage to the goat emblem that accompanied King Edwin of Northumbria into battle in the 7th century.
To find out more visit Ad Gefrin's website.