Waterfront: Expansion of The National Museum of the Royal Navy

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Since the arrival of the national museum into Hartlepool in 2016, plans have been under development for a large scale expansion of the attraction to create a key destination attraction drawing visitors from outside the region and enabling regional audiences to engage with significant national collections.

The arrival of WWII rescue vessel RML 497 in 2019 was the first step in building the future narrative for the site.

Ambitious plans have been formulated and intent shown through the purchase of the adjacent Vision Retail Park (completed in 2022) which will become the permanent home to RML 497 and other large scale objects from the museum’s collection and will be a museum extension to be known as the ‘New Naval Galleries’. This will take the form of new themed galleries, exhibition areas and storage. It will require considerable upgrading and the inclusion of environmental conditioning in one or more designated areas to meet modern museum standards and make it suitable. The building will also house a reception and ticketing point, retail area, offices, WCs and changing facilities.

The expansion will also include improvements to the existing historic quay site with the creation of a new, more prominent entrance linking old with new. This will incorporate improved galleries, gift shop and arrival hall and new conferencing facilities all designed and oriented to take best advantage of the magnificent backdrop provided by HMS Trincomalee.

The overarching theme will be the Royal Navy’s ‘Maritime Endeavour: 'The Navy of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’. The galleries will mix experience, spectacle and interaction, built around flexible, generic themes of:

• War and peace
• Making waves: powering ships
• Attack and defence: weapons and weapons systems
• Work and relaxation
• Eating and drinking
• Changing skills


Since the arrival of the national museum into Hartlepool in 2016, plans have been under development for a large scale expansion of the attraction to create a key destination attraction drawing visitors from outside the region and enabling regional audiences to engage with significant national collections.

The arrival of WWII rescue vessel RML 497 in 2019 was the first step in building the future narrative for the site.

Ambitious plans have been formulated and intent shown through the purchase of the adjacent Vision Retail Park (completed in 2022) which will become the permanent home to RML 497 and other large scale objects from the museum’s collection and will be a museum extension to be known as the ‘New Naval Galleries’. This will take the form of new themed galleries, exhibition areas and storage. It will require considerable upgrading and the inclusion of environmental conditioning in one or more designated areas to meet modern museum standards and make it suitable. The building will also house a reception and ticketing point, retail area, offices, WCs and changing facilities.

The expansion will also include improvements to the existing historic quay site with the creation of a new, more prominent entrance linking old with new. This will incorporate improved galleries, gift shop and arrival hall and new conferencing facilities all designed and oriented to take best advantage of the magnificent backdrop provided by HMS Trincomalee.

The overarching theme will be the Royal Navy’s ‘Maritime Endeavour: 'The Navy of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’. The galleries will mix experience, spectacle and interaction, built around flexible, generic themes of:

• War and peace
• Making waves: powering ships
• Attack and defence: weapons and weapons systems
• Work and relaxation
• Eating and drinking
• Changing skills


Questions?

Please feel free to ask the team any questions with regards to this project.

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  • Share At what stage is the project currently in? Is it currently being tendered for the Main Contractor? on Facebook Share At what stage is the project currently in? Is it currently being tendered for the Main Contractor? on Twitter Share At what stage is the project currently in? Is it currently being tendered for the Main Contractor? on Linkedin Email At what stage is the project currently in? Is it currently being tendered for the Main Contractor? link

    At what stage is the project currently in? Is it currently being tendered for the Main Contractor?

    Elle asked 7 months ago

     

    Thank you for your question Elle.  The project remains in the early development stages. Procurement is due to commence in the next month for a multi-disciplinary design team who will begin the preparatory works to support major funding applications. All contracts will be advertised in accordance with public procurement rules.
  • Share Could you please advise when work will start on site? on Facebook Share Could you please advise when work will start on site? on Twitter Share Could you please advise when work will start on site? on Linkedin Email Could you please advise when work will start on site? link

    Could you please advise when work will start on site?

    Nick McCaffery asked over 1 year ago

    Thank you for your question regarding the NMRN expansion.  

    There are a number of stages to go through before we will have a date for any works commencing. As things progress updates will be placed on the NMRN website https://www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us/hartlepool and the Your Say project page.


  • Share There needs to be more to do once at the marina. Yes its great once you are inside national museum of the Royal Navy and will be great to house more ships for visitors to see however one great place is all there is. There are great farmers markets geld in the carpark but no public toilets. There is nothing exciting on the walk behind the museum past the premier in. Wasteland brocken glass and an old bandstand. This should be more pleasant. Then as you go across to the lock gates, more concrete,broken glass and wasteland. Something could be built here at the waters edge. Could there be a facility to see the catch of fish come in ,like at Amble or Whitby. People like to see this. Its a crying shame this is all hidden from the public in a costal town. There should also be a facility to get across to the Headland by footbridge. To open and close automatically when large ships come in. People can then continue their costal walk to Crimdon. Tourists want more than one thing to do I'm afraid. Especially if they have (foolishly) paid the car park fee the marina charges. Get people excited ,they talk, return and the travel journalists will promote a bustling area on Facebook Share There needs to be more to do once at the marina. Yes its great once you are inside national museum of the Royal Navy and will be great to house more ships for visitors to see however one great place is all there is. There are great farmers markets geld in the carpark but no public toilets. There is nothing exciting on the walk behind the museum past the premier in. Wasteland brocken glass and an old bandstand. This should be more pleasant. Then as you go across to the lock gates, more concrete,broken glass and wasteland. Something could be built here at the waters edge. Could there be a facility to see the catch of fish come in ,like at Amble or Whitby. People like to see this. Its a crying shame this is all hidden from the public in a costal town. There should also be a facility to get across to the Headland by footbridge. To open and close automatically when large ships come in. People can then continue their costal walk to Crimdon. Tourists want more than one thing to do I'm afraid. Especially if they have (foolishly) paid the car park fee the marina charges. Get people excited ,they talk, return and the travel journalists will promote a bustling area on Twitter Share There needs to be more to do once at the marina. Yes its great once you are inside national museum of the Royal Navy and will be great to house more ships for visitors to see however one great place is all there is. There are great farmers markets geld in the carpark but no public toilets. There is nothing exciting on the walk behind the museum past the premier in. Wasteland brocken glass and an old bandstand. This should be more pleasant. Then as you go across to the lock gates, more concrete,broken glass and wasteland. Something could be built here at the waters edge. Could there be a facility to see the catch of fish come in ,like at Amble or Whitby. People like to see this. Its a crying shame this is all hidden from the public in a costal town. There should also be a facility to get across to the Headland by footbridge. To open and close automatically when large ships come in. People can then continue their costal walk to Crimdon. Tourists want more than one thing to do I'm afraid. Especially if they have (foolishly) paid the car park fee the marina charges. Get people excited ,they talk, return and the travel journalists will promote a bustling area on Linkedin Email There needs to be more to do once at the marina. Yes its great once you are inside national museum of the Royal Navy and will be great to house more ships for visitors to see however one great place is all there is. There are great farmers markets geld in the carpark but no public toilets. There is nothing exciting on the walk behind the museum past the premier in. Wasteland brocken glass and an old bandstand. This should be more pleasant. Then as you go across to the lock gates, more concrete,broken glass and wasteland. Something could be built here at the waters edge. Could there be a facility to see the catch of fish come in ,like at Amble or Whitby. People like to see this. Its a crying shame this is all hidden from the public in a costal town. There should also be a facility to get across to the Headland by footbridge. To open and close automatically when large ships come in. People can then continue their costal walk to Crimdon. Tourists want more than one thing to do I'm afraid. Especially if they have (foolishly) paid the car park fee the marina charges. Get people excited ,they talk, return and the travel journalists will promote a bustling area link

    There needs to be more to do once at the marina. Yes its great once you are inside national museum of the Royal Navy and will be great to house more ships for visitors to see however one great place is all there is. There are great farmers markets geld in the carpark but no public toilets. There is nothing exciting on the walk behind the museum past the premier in. Wasteland brocken glass and an old bandstand. This should be more pleasant. Then as you go across to the lock gates, more concrete,broken glass and wasteland. Something could be built here at the waters edge. Could there be a facility to see the catch of fish come in ,like at Amble or Whitby. People like to see this. Its a crying shame this is all hidden from the public in a costal town. There should also be a facility to get across to the Headland by footbridge. To open and close automatically when large ships come in. People can then continue their costal walk to Crimdon. Tourists want more than one thing to do I'm afraid. Especially if they have (foolishly) paid the car park fee the marina charges. Get people excited ,they talk, return and the travel journalists will promote a bustling area

    Lisa B asked over 1 year ago

    Thanks for the comments about the marina.  The Waterfront Connectivity project is underway and is focused on significantly improving footpaths, accessibility, cycle access and the water’s edge to make it easier for wider groups of people to access the marina and waterfront, as well as providing an improved route to the new entrance to the rail station once that is completed. Please see the council’s web pages for the wide range of cultural and visitor activity that is taking place this summer and we will pass the comments on to the cultural and events team.

Page last updated: 13 Dec 2024, 11:36 AM