Construction on JDDK scheme to start later this year

A visitor centre in Northumberland National Park by Newcastle practice JDDK has been given nearly £8m in lottery funding.

The Landscape Discovery Centre, known as The Sill, will house a youth hostel, education facilities, serviced office accommodation for outdoor activity firms, retail space for local products and a local produce cafe.

The building features dry stone walling as well as local woodchip heating, photovoltaic canopies and solar thermal water heating.

The design also features an accessible green roof, created out of local whin sill vegetation, offering views of the Northumbrian countryside.

Costing £11.2m, the project is being developed by the Northumberland National Park Authority and YHA (England and Wales).

Construction is now expected to begin on site later this year with the building due to open its doors to the public in June 2017.

The centre, which will replace an existing YHA centre called Once Brewed near the village of Bardon Mill near Hasdrian’s Wall, is expected to attract 100,000 visitors a year.