English Heritage has appointed Newcastle agency Gardiner Richardson to handle its PR for the North East and Cumbria.

The agency will focus on driving visitors to the organisation's priority sites which include Lindisfarne Priory, Carlisle Castle, Belsay Hall and historic properties along Hadrian's Wall.

It will also promote, both nationally and regionally, a contemporary arts exhibition - Extraordinary Measures - being held at Belsay Hall from May to September.

Along with handling PR, Gardiner Richardson will be responsible for planning and buying media for the organisation in both the North East and Cumbria.

The agency is now working to finalise a media schedule to advertise English Heritage's core events programme and the Extraordinary Measures exhibition.

Lucy Gardiner, director of Gardiner Richardson, said: "The properties in the North East and Cumbria provide great scope for some really inspirational PR and as the team at English Heritage are not afraid to push boundaries, we hope to develop a PR campaign with the flexibility and longevity to raise the profile of the sites throughout the year."