MILLIONS of pounds have been awarded to Herefordshire Council to redevelop Hereford's grade II-listed museum building.
The £5 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant will completely revitalise the museum and art gallery building in Broad Street to significantly enhance the city’s cultural offer, a council spokesperson said.
The project will see a contemporary museum and art exhibition centre within the cathedral quarter of the city. The revamped museum will also provide a new permanent home for the Herefordshire Hoard, one of the most significant Viking and Anglo-Saxon treasures ever discovered in Britain.
The dazzling collection comprises a gold arm bangle with beast head clasp, a pendant made from a sphere of rock crystal mounted in gold, a gold octagonal ring with black inlay and 29 rare coins mostly of Alfred the Great of Wessex and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. The hoard is thought to have been buried around 878.
The renovation plans include eight new galleries and display spaces, a temporary exhibition space and the restoration of the historic Woolhope club room. New commercial areas will include a retail space, roof-top café and events and education space.
RELATED NEWS:
- Date when Hereford Museum and Art Gallery will temporarily close
- Shirehall is 'preferred option' for new Hereford library
- Triumph for campaign to keep Viking hoard in Herefordshire
A spectacular viewing beacon and roof terrace will be accessible from the fifth-floor courtyard space to provide 360-degree views over the city and surrounding landscape.
Councillor Harry Bramer, cabinet member, community services and assets, said: “We are delighted to receive funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.
“Through the generous support of our funders, we will be able to breathe new life into the museum and art gallery.
"We are looking forward to building a world-class museum for the 21st century that celebrates diversity, fosters creativity and sparks curiosity.
"The new museum and art gallery will transform Herefordshire’s cultural landscape by putting people, the environment and sustainability at the heart of what we do.”
Robyn Llewellyn, director of Midlands and East for the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “I am delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting Herefordshire Council’s ambitious plans for its museum and art gallery redevelopment.
"This funding, which has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players, will significantly enhance the city’s cultural offer, ensuring that heritage projects represent and reflect local communities.”
The project is funded by £8 million from Herefordshire Council, £5 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £5 million from the Stronger Towns Fund.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel