21st birthday for mining museum.

The journey of a lead mine from dereliction to award-winning visitor attraction will be celebrated on Friday.

Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, in Upper Weardale, County Durham, marks its 21st birthday at the weekend.

Set 1,500ft up in the North Pennines, Killhope has been voted the country's leading family friendly museum.

Joining in the 21st birthday party will be staff who have worked at the Durham County Council-run museum over the years.

The museum, with its underground attractions and giant working iron waterwheel, now draws around 26,000 visitors a year. Five hundred balloons will be released to mark the event with a competition to find the one that travels furthest.

The celebrations continue over the weekend with a children's birthday party and free workshops on Saturday.

"Continuous development has helped to rebuild what is now probably the most complete lead mining site in Britain," said museum manager Ian Forbes.

"We are very proud to celebrate Killhope's coming of age but we must look forward as well as back. Killhope hasn't stood still over the years and won't in the future."

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Publication:	The Journal (Newcastle, England)
Date:	May 18, 2005
Words:	185
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