As odd sounding ideas go, this is top of the scale, but don’t panic – the eco bit has nothing (much) to do with environmental issues.
Museum explained: The museum isn’t a single building but more a collection of sites around the England / Scotland border in Northumberland, set out to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden.
The battle was the biggest ever fought between the English and the Scots, at least where football isn’t involved, and since it took place over such a vast area and on so many different locations, the “museum” is a way to collect all these locations and make them accessible to visitors.
James Joicey, chair of the Flodden 2013 steering group, explained it as a little like a trail where you can go from point to point, but there is no specific route or guidebook saying “you must do this, then that”.
Just like a housed museum is a collection of pieces, this museum will in essence be a collection of places scattered across between two countries…although luckily you don’t need a passport in this case.
Why is it eco? It could be argued that the museum is very environmentally friendly, not having any building, but in reality the “eco” is actually from the Greek “ekos” meaning “house”.
There is a certain amount of sustainability involved in the plans as people visiting the various sites will no doubt help the local economies, but there won’t be anyone counting your carbon footprint.
More details: Hopefully it’ll make more sense when you visit the Flodden 1513 web site which acts as a virtual visitors centre for the whole experience.
More links around Northumbria:
Visitor attractions around Coldstream (close to Battle of Flodden site)
Hotels in Coldstream
