MORE information has been revealed about Salisbury Museum's £5million transformation. 

Work will officially start with the final closure of the café on Saturday, March 11 and the ceramics, fashion, and Salisbury galleries on March 12 to allow building works to start.  

Plans for a £4.4million redevelopment were revealed by the Journal in 2021. 

Titled "Past Forward: Salisbury Museum for Future Generations", the project will see the Grade I listed building "restored, renewed and repurposed", and will focus on the future sustainability of the museum.

Read more: Car removed from River Avon - with army called in to dispose of it

Cost

The budget for the Past Forward project was put together for the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) in May 2021.

Since then the museum says the cost of undertaking the building project have gone up "significantly" due to inflation.

This meant that in the autumn of 2022 it had to go back to the NLHF to ask for more funds to cover what had become a significant funding shortfall.

This was calculated to be £572,500 which was approved by the NLHF board in November – meaning the overall cost of the project is now just under £5 million.

The museum said in its most recent newsletter: "We are incredibly grateful that this request was granted meaning we can continue to move forward with our project."

SEE ALSO: Wiltshire Community Foundation thanks readers after support Put In A Pound appeal

Progress

The museum started the decant of the galleries at the beginning of October. In preparation, volunteers had undertaken training sessions with Conservator Sarah Howard. They learned how to handle and pack objects safely and efficiently - crucial due to the large number of objects that were to be moved.

By the end of November, the volunteers had packed more than 800 objects.

Immediate future

Moving forwards, volunteers will be emptying the history of Salisbury galleries, fashion gallery, the ceramics gallery and the Brixie Jarvis room. 

The remainder of the museum will be open – so there will still be temporary exhibitions and major events such as the Spring Fayre and Festival of Archaeology.

However the lack of a lecture hall means all talks will be taking place online and some activities have been relocated elsewhere – the Young Curators Club, Under Fives Fridays and the spring course will all be happening off site.

The work will continue in earnest on planning the new displays.

Project Curator Bridget Telfer will be writing text and the finishing touches will be made to interactives, films and the graphic scheme.

It is hoped the new museum will open in May 2024.