Redevelopment work on the Woodhorn Colliery museum, near Ashington, Northumberland, will begin later this year.

The £15.5m refurbishment plans will see the museum transformed into a cultural centre, celebrating the county’s industrial heritage.

Bovis Lend Lease will act as the main contractor for both the Wansbeck District and Northumberland County councils.

The museum closed to the public on 22 February and the work - to include extensive refurbishment on existing buildings and the construction of a new county archives building – is expected to last around 18 months.

Ashington Colliery closed in October 1986 after 92 years and was converted into a museum which opened in 1989 and attracts around 40,000-50,000 visitors a year.

Details: www.wansbeck.gov.uk