A North East museum owned by Northumbrian Water, is expecting to welcome thousands of people through its doors this bank holiday weekend for a special military vehicle event and everyone is invited.
Ryhope Engines Museum in Sunderland is offering visitors the rare chance to see everything this spectacular Victorian water works has to offer in full operation.
Built in 1868, the volunteer-run museum once supplied drinking water to Sunderland and the surrounding areas for 100 years.
Now, the museum opens to the public every year for steaming events around bank holiday weekends, where visitors can see the site up and running, thanks to dedicated volunteers who help Northumbrian Water preserve the historic monument.
This weekend, the free event will also see around 50 impressive military vehicles and artillery, dating from the Second World War to the present day, parked up outside of the building, along with outdoor displays and stalls.
Louise Hunter, Corporate Communications Director at Northumbrian Water, said: “We are immensely proud of Ryhope Engines Museum, which is a fascinating historic landmark right here on our doorstep.
“This bank holiday opening weekend will give visitors the rare chance to see this Victorian site in action and as an added bonus, we’ll have around 50 military vehicles on display, so this event is not to be missed.”
Visitors can expect to see two 100 horsepower beam engines built by R & W Hawthorn, three ′Lancashire′ boilers dating from 1908 (two of which are in regular use), a blacksmith′s forge with ironwork demonstrations, a waterwheel, numerous steam engines, pumps and waterworks accessories.
The site is also open to the public as a static exhibit every Sunday, between 2.00pm and 5.00pm, until the end of December.
Keith Bell, Chairman of Ryhope Engines Trust, said: "Our volunteers are working hard to get everything ready for this opening weekend and are excited to open our doors to the public.
“We are looking forward to seeing the various historic military vehicles, which has been organised through The North East Military Vehicle Club Ltd.
“Preserving this special site for generations to come and opening to the public would not be possible without the amazing support of the volunteers, Northumbrian Water and our local partners, so a big thank you to them.”
Ryhope Engines Museum is open from Saturday August 24 to Monday August 26, 2019 between 11.00am and 4.00pm, with the military vehicles arriving from Sunday until Monday.
For those wanting to really get involved, arrive just before 11.00am on each of the opening days and help the volunteers start up the engines for the day.
There is improved access for visitors with mobility issues and parents with pushchairs, with free parking which is limited.
The postcode for the site is SR2 0ND and for more information about the museum please visit