Sunday, September 25, 2011

Dilston demise denied

The Hexham Courant had a story on September 12th saying that following government cutbacks the North Pennines Heritage Trust has had to go into administration. As this is the body which looks after the upkeeep of Dilston Castle visitor centre, the centre had been forced to close.

However a letter from the Friends of Historic Dilston says that members of the Friend`s Commitee have been acting as volunteer custodians and will do so until the end of the season on September 30th. The volunteers still kept things going so that over 200 people were able to visit the site on the English Heritage Open Days (8-11 September).

The Friends` Committee is looking into ways of securing the future for the Dilston site. Let`s hope they find one so that this site of such importance for Catholic history in the North East can remain open.

5 comments:

1569 Rising said...

Father,

I just assumed that Dilston was in the care of English Heritage. I was not aware that the North Pennines Heritage Trust was a stand-alone organisation depending on grant aid and revenue from visitors. Therein lies the problem.

English Heritage would seem to be the obvious custodians of Dilston. Nenthead, Lambley Viaduct etc as industrial monuments are somewhat different, and beyond the scope of this post.

Ownership by English Heritage would bring benefits such as advertising and being a part of something much bigger.

One of the problems with Dilston is that there is not a lot for the casual visitor to see - not that I am trying to denigrate the importance of Dilston to Jacobite groupies and weird Catholic traddies!

What does the Northumbrian Jacobite Society feel about it?

It is important to me, but I am a sad Jacobite Groupie and Catholic Traddy. Anoraks of the world unite - we have nothing to lose but our sanity!

David O'Neill said...

Too late 1569, yours went long ago!
What bothers me is what happens to our annual EF Mass on the feast of St Mary Magdalene?

David O'Neill said...

Slightly(?) off subject but I've just read Fr Zuhlsdorf's blog re the REQUIREMENT in Canon Law to teach ALL seminarians Latin. Is this correct &, if so, how do the hierarchy get away with not teaching it in seminaries?

Rubricarius said...

It does look a very enchanting chapel though I have never visited.

I do hope its future as a place of worship is secured somehow.

1569 Rising said...

Because, David, as one of our Bishops famously said that he put anything he got from Rome into a drawer.