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The Witham Hall

Barnard Castle Vision is working with The Witham Trustees to redevelop The Witham Hall in the heart of Barnard Castle.  At the beginning of January 2010, the designs for the new Witham were revealed to the public.

In late May 2010, the plans were submitted to Durham County Council's Planning Department for approval.  Read more here and find out where you can view the plans.

They reveal plans for a specialist regional food hall and a 160-seater cinema.

The architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, are specialists in conservation work and the regeneration programme includes complete restoration of the original building on Horsemarket.  There will be additional development to the rear of the hall, and, once completed, The Witham will be home to a second flexible performance or event space which can be used as a theatre for up to 163. Alternative uses for this space include conferences, commercial meetings, exhibitions or private functions.  The seating is retractable leaving a large hall with a sprung floor suitable for dancing.

The Witham Food Hall will play a part in building the town's reputation as a centre for excellent local food.  Research has shown that by increasing the quality food offering, all the food retailers in Barnard Castle can be promoted and this will pull in visitors from a wider area, increasing the total spend in the town to the benefit of all.

The retailers in The Witham will complement the retail offering already available in the town.  The farmers' market has already brought more people into Barnard Castle to shop, and the Witham Food Hall will be another draw to increase the people shopping here.  Furthermore, the marketing of Barnard Castle as a food town, and the support of Barney Guild, will support all the town’s independent retailers.

The redevelopment of The Witham will also incorporate a centre for healthy living, promoting healthy eating as well as a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages.  The Witham will continue to provide a range of suitable activities and events for all.

More than 360 people attended the recent exhibition of the designs at The Witham.  Over 95 per cent of those who indicated in the comments book whether they supported the redevelopment project were in favour.

Below are details of the features included in the designs.

Original Horsemarket building:

  • The current ground floor will be opened up to create a new cafe and exhibition space.
  • The staircase will be retained and renovated.
  • The first floor hall will be renovated to be used as a performance space, studio or meeting room.

Existing hall to the rear:

  • This will be replaced with a new building which will incorporate land gifted by the former Yorkshire Bank.

New building ground floor:

  • This will include a 160-seater cinema.  This auditorium will also be available for alternative uses.
  • A food hall with a number of retail units.

New building First Floor:

  • This will feature a second cafeteria or a relaxation area where people can enjoy produce from the Food Hall below.
  • There will be a new gallery, and additional exhibition space.
  • Foyer and entrance to the upper auditorium/ performance space which can be used as a theatre seating up to 163, or for conferences, exhibitions, commercial meetings, or private functions.

New building upper floor:

  • This will feature work and meeting spaces which will be available to rent, with a view to the new Witham generating new employment opportunities in Barnard Castle.

The new building will be designed to be as sustainable as possible, economic to heat and maintain, with low carbon emissions.  Roof lights will allow natural daylight into the heart of the food hall and main areas will be passively ventilated to remain comfortable without the need for air conditioning.  The plans incorporate sustainable technologies such as photovoltaic cells or solar water heating panels, as well as grey water collection for use in flushing toilets.  With a proposed new link from the Pay and Display car park, The Witham will be accessible from all directions. The plans will shortly be submitted to Durham County Council for planning permission, while a number of funding applications are also progressed.

The information boards from the exhibition can be downloaded from the downloads page on this site.