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NewsMorpeth Chantry under threat.Morpeth is a market town in Northumberland, about 15 miles due North of Newcastle upon Tyne. Until it acquired a bypass, the Great North Road ran through the town and crossed the river Wansbeck by the only bridge for miles around. The Chantry is a 13th century chapel built on the North bank of the river and served a religious function until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. Thereafter it was used partly as a grammar school and partly as a chapel and later as a pop factory and refreshment rooms. It was aquired by Castle Morpeth Borough Council in 1974 and it was restored over a period of eight years.The Morpeth Chantry currently houses a bagpipe museum, a hall of craft stalls and a tourist information bureau. The bagpipe museum is the home of the W. A Cocks collection which was bequeathed to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne. This is an immensely important facility for bagpipes in general and northumbrian smallpipes in particular. This has been funded by Castle Morpeth Borough Council for the last 18 years, but they are now seeking to "review" the Chantry operations and there seems to be a prefence in certain quarters to eliminate the current facilities and set up a "commercial" tourist venture. The Northumbrian Pipers' Society has expressed its interest in joining with others to create a trust to take over the running of the building, should we be unable to persuade the council to continue to support the building. For more information go to bagpipe museum defence site. |