Northumberlandia, the Lady of the North, opened to the public in 2012. She was two years in the making and many more in planning, the whole project triggered by the desire for mining on adjacent land. If I have grasped the idea correctly, this was a 'restoration first' project to provide a resource for the local community and for tourists, a sort of gift in kind - and from where I stand, it seems to tick every box.
