GMDT PROJECT LEAD:  Dai Richards

Historic:

Non statutory signage such as information boards were erected by the Trust as part of the Castle Woods and Water project in 2008. These have made a major contribution in improving Morpeth town’s resident and visitor information offer explanations to the history of Morpeth and the its Points of Interest. We have identified some 46 Information Boards primarily in and around the Town Centre and various nearby countryside locations, maintaining these boards has been a challenge by Town and County councils since their stands are mostly made of wood.

Excluding the finger posts, these are mostly interpretation panels incorporating wildlife artwork and heritage information, directional signs with town maps, and appreciably older distance indicator structures or panels.

Over the past years GMDT volunteers have worked with Town and County councils in trying to maintain them. A survey was completed in 2016 and a further one 2021 both by Hugh Edmundson. In January 2024 a new survey was completed to support the 2023/24 GMDT / KEVI Signage project. Post the 2024 survey we have a clearer understanding who owns the Information boards, they are mostly Morpeth Town Council with some in outlier areas owned by Northumberland County Council.

Using the 2024 Survey, Morpeth Town Council completed urgent maintenance of some boards involving cleaning up and in some places replacement of the frame of a board.

Over the years some Information boards have been lost totally, some damaged and some badly blighted by the rain and frost.

We have considered GMDT volunteer maintaining the boards, but we are advised this is not possible due to health and safety issues and insurance / liability issues.

2023/24 Trial – team won the silver prize of NCC 2025 Love Northumberland 

In summer 2023 GMDT were successful in being awarded £2,500 from NCC County Councillor Richard Wearmouth towards our Signage Trial. The trial targeted the following Information boards which were either lost or in a very poor state of repair at the time:

1. Lord Collingwood Poopdeck and Steps   
2. St Mary’s Churchyard – Notable Morpethians, Emily Davison
3. St Mary’s Churchyard – Polish War Graves, Commonwealth War Graves
4. William Turner – Carlisle Park 2 boards
5. Plus extra – St Marys Churchyard – Lych Front board – needing repair , danger to the public
6. Tommy’s Field John Caffrey’s nature board – behind Morrisons store

Red – denotes lost board, vandalised / weather damaged etc

Brown – weather damaged or poor repair

The objectives of the trial were:

1. To utilise new technology to enable Visually impaired / Blind person to listen to the information on the boards and websites
2. Using Navilens QR codes – access to additional information held on a website
3. To involve young people in the curation process – making it more current and readable for the younger generation.
4. Install new boards which are more robust from attempted vandalism but also reduce the amount of maintenance by using steel posts and polycarbonated boards.
5. Completion of new Signage – capturing GOOGLE+ codes and What3Words to facilitate finding the location
6. Enhance the boards to meet the latest standards re Colours and Fonts.

We have involved students from Morpeth’s KEVI (Y12 students) and Newcastle University (History – Public History module) in the completion of the curation work.

See next slide https://gmdt.net/environment/signage-interpretation/gmdt-kevi-signage-boards for Images of the boards delivered in 2024/25.

Signage Survey: 

Our GMDT Environment director, Dai Richards completed  survey in January 2024. This survey has been used by Morpeth Town Council (MTC) to clean up any boards identified as needing urgent clean-up. For example the Skinnery Bridge Information board has been substantially cleaned up and a new wooden frame fitted.

KEVI Year 12 students website Curation and support from Newcastle University – Public History students

KEVI students have completed curation for all the boards, working in partnership with related board experts / family members – for example: Commonwealth War Graves expert Mike Booth, Emily Davison expert– Andrew Tebbutt, Lord Collingwood Society and family descendant– Nigel Collingwood and Paul MacDonald, Dr Mari Addyman William Turner.

This exercise has also involved curation from 8 Newcastle University students who were studying the Public History module on their History 1^st year degree – very high quality work provided in early April 2024 for the following areas:

• Lord Collingwood
• Emily Davison
• St George’s Hospital – possibly new board in 2026?
• Chantry – details passed to MTC / FOMM (Friends of Morpeth)
• Morpeth Yards – details passed to MTC / FOMM
• Morpeth Workhouse – details passed to MTC / FOMM
• Roger De Merlay – this will hopefully be used in future plans
• History of GMDT– this will hopefully be used in future plans

We recommend you go and see the new Information Boards now in place:

• St Marys Churchyard:          Lych Gate Front entrance board – Google plus: 5865+28
• St Marys Churchyard:          Notable Morpethians – Google plus: 5864+5F
• St Marys Churchyard:          War Graves – Google plus: 5853+XV
• Low Stanners:                          Collingwood Poopdeck – Google plus: 5894+HH
• Carlisle Park:                            William Turner – Google plus: 5887+28

 

NAVILENS – QR codes

We are the 1^st in the UK to use the new Navilens codes on historical Information boards. More details about Navilens can be found on NaviLens Accessible QR code

Boards targeted for delivery 2025:

In July 2024 the trial boards at St Marys Churchyard were presented to County and Town councils with very positive feedback from the officials. Feedback from the KEVI students was they would like a new set of Year 12 students take on the project in September 2024 so in September 2024 a smaller team of KEVI students took on the curation work for 2 new boards. We also engaged Newcastle University History students in the next set of curation. In April 2025 funding was approved by Northumberland County Council, the following boards planned to be delivered in 2025:

• KEVI school – Curation by KEVI students
• Morpeth Railway station – Curation by GMDT and others plus Newcastle University student
• St Roberts Church and Collingwood House – Curation by KEVI students
• Lost/stolen board in Bothal Woods – just a stone plinth there currently

We are advised by FOMM – Nic Best,  that a new Bullers green information board will be erected in 2025 – we await details.

Future boards hoped to be delivered in 2026 using 2025 funding:

• Emily Davison statue – Carlisle Park – adding of new QR code and website
• St James Church and Boys Brigade
• Morpeth Ha Hill

Future boards that will require further funding with targets to deliver in either 2027 or 2028:

• Morpeth Castle
• Mitford Castle + St Mary Magdalene Church
• Morpeth Court / Goosehill Car Park / school
• Morpeth Flood Scheme – requires support from Environment agency

Do you have any suggestions for location of a new board?