Opening of the Whitburn Conservation Centre

Centre for Landscape at the opening of the Whitburn Conservation Centre, in connection with SeaScapes

Centre for Landscape Co-Director Prof. Maggie Roe and Research Associate Dr Maria Duggan were delighted to attend the opening of the new Whitburn Conservation Centre on Thursday 11^th January.

Formed in November 2017, the SeaScapes Partnership consists of over 20 organisations including the National Trust, South Tyneside Council, Durham Heritage Coast, Natural England, as well as Newcastle University. Maggie sits on the Seascapes Partnership board and is leading the Foodscapes project within SeaScapes, which is researching food stories from the North East coast between the Tyne and Tees. Maria has been working with Maggie on Foodscapes, and together they are investigating and recording unique food stories from the region, and developing outputs for the project, including a digital atlas.

The new Whitburn Conservation Centre is intended to ‘play a key part in delivering the aims of the SeaScapes partnership’, forming a place where people can learn about ‘the wildlife and heritage of the area’. ‘It will be used to host events and activities and to help raise awareness of marine conservation issues. The centre sits on the clifftops close to Souter Lighthouse and the Whitburn Coastal Park. The small and energy-efficient building ‘blends sensitively with the surroundings and has a low carbon footprint. Eric Wilton, General Manager, South of Tyne property group for the National Trust stated ‘The addition of a fresh new visitor space at Souter is an exciting prospect. We want local residents and visitors to enjoy using it; for it to feel like a natural link between the lighthouse and the coastal park – a sort of stepping stone between a historic building and the outdoor environment.’ The launch event was attended by members of the SeaScapes board and team and was covered by the local press, including Tyne Tees news.