Educational and Group Visits

Two children learning how an old sale phone box operated

Types of Visit Available

We offer five types of 'visit':

  1. School Groups visiting the Heritage Centre, when the Centre will usually be closed to the Public for the visit. Group visits for schools are free.
  2. Organised groups visiting us with the option of trained volunteer guides to host your visit or just having volunteers on hand to answer any questions you may have. We can also accommodate these visits out of normal hours by arraagement. Such visits are free but we welcome individual donations from all visitors. We ask that groups og 10 or more please book in advance.
  3. We can provide a speaker on an agreed subject to come to your group. We do not charge for these visits but we welcome a donation to the Heritage Centre.
  4. Memory Boxes to trigger recollections and discussion. These can come with a speaker or we can provide them on loan for a small deposit.
  5. Guided Walks.

School Visits

We offer bespoke visits for schools and other young people's groups to the Heritage Centre. Key topics are:

  • Local studies
  • The First and Second World Wars
  • Coal mining and the iron industry
  • The Border Reivers

but if there is a different topic you would like to cover, please get in touch and we will be able to help.

Memory Boxes

Our memory box range is expanding but currently includes:

  1. A digital image viewer on which we can provide images on various subjects.
  2. Coming in 2024. A digital voice box with two headsets which can be used by a group with up to 12 voice recordings from the past. The contents may vary from time to time.
  3. Objects relating to the subject of the memory box.
  4. For some boxes (eventually all boxes) -  a set of printed images for identification.
  5. For some boxes (eventually all boxes) -  a set of 'Did you Know' cards.
  6. A users guide to the contents of the box.

Our current topics include:

  • WW2 / evacuees
  • Victorian man & woman
  • Amateur/travelling photographer
  • Nursing/medical. 

Guided Walks

We also offer guided walks:

  • The former iron works and Hareshaw Burn
  • Bellingham village historic walk of the village - The Three Waters Walk. There is also a leaflet on this walk for use in a self-guided manner, available at the Heritage Centre.

Please Contact the Learning Team with any questions or if you wish to make a booking.