TWO new exhibitions will be unveiled at the Heritage Centre in Bellingham this year.

One of the new exhibitions focuses on the colliery village of Plashetts, which was gradually abandoned in the 1930's. 

The remains of the village, 750 feet above sea level, can still be seen and the railway incline which led to Plashetts railway station is now submerged beneath Kielder Water.

The incline was vital for the mining community, since it provided the only link to the outside world for the village as there was no road access. The village owed its presence to the railway, which allowed the mined coal to be transported and sold on a commercial scale. 

The second exhibition explores Kielder Water, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary since being opened by Queen Elizabeth II on May, 26 in 1982.

All of the farms now beneath the water are represented before, during, and after demolition, recorded in part by the photographic collection of Arthur Taylor, and also through a Heritage Centre video display.

The display will also examine the area around Kielder Reservoir, reflecting on the transition from the traditional products from Plashetts of Coal, Coke, and Clay, to modern renewables Wood, Wind, and Water. 

Tyne Rivers Trust has installed a new project board, showcasing its National Lottery Funded project, 'Native North Tyne' to visitors.

Liz Walters, Project Manager at Tyne Rivers Trust says: "Bellingham Heritage Centre is the perfect place for us to tell people about our fantastic project celebrating all that’s special and unique about this stretch of river, and we're grateful to the centre for giving us the space to do this."