Bishop Auckland Town Hall closes ahead of 拢1.5m revamp

Image source, Durham County Council

Image caption, Durham County Council agreed to fund the refurbishment earlier this year

A town hall has closed ahead of its 拢1.5m transformation into a cultural hub.

Bishop Auckland Town Hall will be refurbished with a new layout, art gallery space, new cafe and enhanced library and cinema facilities.

Durham County Council said it will enable the Grade II listed building, on Market Place, to stage a wider variety of events and attract a greater number of visitors.

It is due to reopen in the spring.

The venue closed on Saturday ahead of work starting in the coming weeks.

Temporary library facilities will be housed at the nearby Auckland Project building, while the gallery space will become a permanent home for the Durham Miners' Gala mural by Norman Cornish, which is currently on display at the council's headquarters at County Hall, Durham.

Image source, Durham County Council

Image caption, The work will see a number of changes to the cafe and library areas

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