Woodhorn, officially Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives and formerly known as Woodhorn Colliery Museum, is located in Ashington, Northumberland. The museum depicts the lives of coal mine workers and features original buildings and equipment from the former colliery, including the two headframes, a winding house, other engine houses, a steam winding engine, stables, a building with ventilation equipment, a blacksmith and joiners shop, and the office. Several buildings contain original equipment and mining exhibits, while others have been converted to museum exhibit areas or wedding, conference and event facilities.
In addition to exhibits about the mine and the life of a miner, the museum features a permanent collection of art created by the Ashington Group. There are also changing exhibits of history, art and science.
The museum was first opened in 1989 but following major redevelopment with chief architect Tony Kettle, the museum reopened in October 2006. Now the buildings are protected with listed status and the location is recognised as a Scheduled Ancient Monument as it is the most well preserved example of a late 19th- to early 20th-century colliery in the North Eastern of England.
Kettle was inspired by monster coal cutting machines when redeveloping the new building, which sits alongside the original colliery buildings. The architecture and the museum contents, through displays, paintings, temporary exhibitions and archive, tell Northumberland’s story.