A LITTLE piece of the Tyne Valley has found its way into one of the country’s most famous museums.

Mr Gibson’s Pharmacy, a Victorian pharmacy on Fore Street, served the people of Hexham for 140 years until it closed in 1978.

Subsequently, the shop was recreated in incredible detail for a medical gallery at the Science Museum in London. The gallery proved popular, and was in place from 1982 until 2015.

Now, the shop has been brought back due to popular demand as part of an updated gallery – with a few modern twists included to bring the shop into the 21st century.

Part of the Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries, Mr Gibson’s Pharmacy now features an immersive digital experience, including the voice of Mr Gibson talking to his apprentice, Alice, and interactive displays showing how tools were used in the pharmacy.

Selina Hurley, curator of Medicine at the Science Museum, said the gallery has been well received since it reopened to the public on Saturday.

Selina said: “We knew Mr Gibson’s Pharmacy was a favourite with visitors and staff, so we brought it back reimagined for the 21st century.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal, the response we’ve had has been incredible.

“We’ve had people coming in and saying they recognise it from living in Hexham. It seems many people have enjoyed it and being taken back.

“It makes us connect with the health and wellbeing of our ancestors.”

The shop, which includes some of the original fixtures and fittings as well as a replica of the facade, was first built in the science museum thanks to an article in the Hexham Courant, detailing the closure of Mr Gibson’s business.

Selina explained: “My predecessor, Brian Bracegirdle, saw an article in the Courant in the late 70s. Mr Gibson was looking to concentrate on the opticians side of his business, and was closing the pharmacy.

“Brian and a team of people from the Science Museum acquired all of the furniture and the jars and equipment, and it was on display from 1980 to 2015 as part of the old medicine gallery.”

The Wellcome Galleries are the largest medicine galleries in the world, featuring five new galleries and 3,000 medical artefacts.