Unfortunately, the archives were put in the wrong place right from the start. When the NBL archives were at Melton Park and Morpeth, they were easily accessible by bus and car. Now they are only accessible by car, taxi or on foot (if you are keen on a really long walk along a wooded, unlit, winding road with no footpath).
The fact that it is embedded in the heart of the museum is making access to the archives a problem. Whoever administers the site doesn't change the fact it's in the wrong place and has been for the last 11 years.
Before I returned to the north, I used the Hampshire and the Berkshire archives at Reading and Winchester. Reading R/O is a fairly modern building with a dedicated car park just outside and a real pleasure to work in, quiet! Buses stop over the road. Winchester is right in the city but public transport and a big car park 100 yards away from their new building make it quite accessible. Once again, a pleasure to work in, quiet.
Woodhorn can be noisy at times, with groups of school children passing the door, brass bands the other day (!) and soundtracks from neighboring museum rooms.
No solution to this except taking it out of that site and relocation, that will never happen! Oh and its free to visit Reading and Winchester!
Gen in NBL UK