NORTHUMBERLAND National Park is celebrating the first anniversary of its flagship attraction.

The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre at Once Brewed was opened to the public for the first time 12 months ago.

Since then, more than 170,000 visitors have passed through the doors, far exceeding the original expectations.

Northumberland National Park Authority chairman Glen Sanderson said: “We are delighted with the success of the Sill and the fantastic level of support it has received from the public. The response from visitors has been very positive. Prior to opening, we could never have imagined more than doubling our original visitor numbers in just 12 months.”

Chief executive at Northumberland National Park Authority Tony Gates added: “What has been particularly pleasing is to see three generations of the same family visit, exploring together and sharing their landscape stories.

“The Sill is providing a perfect gateway to engage people with our unique landscape.”

The centre is celebrating the milestone with a series of special events and activites, delivered by the National Park Authority along with a host of local partners.

The ongoing digital landscapes exhibition is supplemented by various activities, from guided walks to using the video game Minecraft to discover how Roman architects constructed Hadrian’s Wall.