The Museum of Gloucester has been awarded nearly £400,000 to upgrade and repair the historic building.
It will receive £387,500 of funding to go towards repairing and improving the roof and drainage system; upgrading the museum’s heating system; installing LED lighting to reduce the building’s energy consumption and make it more sustainable; as well as installing equipment allowing staff to control the humidity in the building, which will help to protect the museum’s extensive collection of paintings and artefacts.
The museum also plans to upgrade its passenger lift, to help wheelchair users and visitors with prams get around more easily.
The Grade II listed building on Brunswick Road dates back to the Victorian era. It was built in 1893 for Margaret Price as a memorial to her husband, William Edwin Price, and was originally called the Price Memorial Hall of the Gloucester Science and Art Society. The museum was taken on by the local authority in 1902 and the first floor was added in 1958.
As well as the remains of the city’s original Roman walls, the Museum of Gloucester contains internationally significant artefacts, including the Birdlip mirror, the Gloucester ‘tables’ set – which is the oldest example of this game in the world – and paintings from the likes of Thomas Dibdin, Thomas Gainsborough and John Atkinson Grimshaw.
Amy Washington, events and marketing officer at the Museum of Gloucester, said: ‘Thanks to this funding, the dedicated team at the museum can continue to provide quality exhibitions, events, engagement, education and experiences for many years and future generations to come.’
Cabinet member for culture and leisure at Gloucester City Council, councillor Andy Lewis added: ‘We’re delighted to be awarded this funding which will help to ensure this beautiful building is well maintained and we’re able to pass on the important legacy of our fantastic collections to future generations.’
Funding for the work comes from the government’s Museums Estate and Development Fund, which is administered by Arts Council England and is distributed to museums across the UK for vital infrastructure and maintenance work.
For more information about the Museum of Gloucester, visit museumofgloucester.co.uk.
