Published on Tuesday 20 December 2022
Poole Museum is closing at the end of December this year ahead of redevelopment work funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone.
The redevelopment, supported by BCP Council, will transform the museum and provide extensive new and updated community facilities.
Three new galleries will showcase Poole Museum’s maritime collections and are being ‘co-created’ with residents. A new temporary exhibition gallery will bring major touring exhibitions to Poole.
The museum’s three historic buildings, Grade II listed Oakley’s Mill, and the Grade I listed medieval Wool Hall and Scaplen’s Court, will be restored and conserved while urgent repairs and maintenance are carried out. New spaces will be opened up to the public for the first time, including Scaplen’s Court and Garden which will be open to the public year-round as part of a visit to Poole Museum.
There will be a vibrant programme of creative, cultural activity for the local community and visitors as well as new educational workshops developed with local schools and teachers.
Better access is integral to plans which include putting in place a new, larger lift in Poole Museum plus the installation of an elevator in Scaplen’s Court, providing access to the upper floor of this building for the first time.
Cllr Beverley Dunlop, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Culture and Vibrant Places at BCP Council said: "With support from Poole Museum Foundation, Poole Museum will be ‘on the move’ during the work. We will be bringing our collections and stories out into the community while the museum is closed. We will visit local schools, community groups, parks, open air events, fun days and festivals. There’s lots of opportunities to get involved and find out more about your new museum – you can even take a look behind the scenes at what’s going on!"
Stuart McLeod, Director England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why we are proud to support Poole Museum on their redevelopment project. Thanks to National Lottery players, the museum will still be an integral part of this community throughout the project, helping local people better understand their heritage. We can’t wait to see the fantastic new space and programme that is created, which will also play a significant role in boosting the local economy and aiding the wider regeneration of Poole."
Rebecca Barrett, Regional Director at Historic England, said: "We’re delighted that, through the High Street Heritage Action Zone, we are supporting the regeneration of Poole Museum’s historic buildings. Their transformation and the development of exciting new facilities, displays and activities will play a major part in the town’s regeneration. We can’t wait to see the results."
The first phase of the redevelopment, including major re-roofing and glazing works, installation of solar panels, insulation of roofs and walls and external repairs will finish in March 2023. The sustainability improvements will reduce the carbon footprint of the museum by 25 per cent.
Poole Museum’s galleries will close to the public on 31 December 2022. The Tourist Information Centre and museum shop will remain open in the front atrium of the museum until 31 March 2023.
Poole Museum is scheduled to reopen after the redevelopment towards the end of 2024.
Notes to Editors:
Opening Times Until Closure
Poole Museum will be open Monday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm and Sunday, 12 noon - 4pm. Entry is free. The museum is closed for the Christmas break, 24 - 27 December.
About Poole Museum
The museum is located in the heart of The Old Town and by Poole Quay. It is made up of the 2007 Richard Horden Atrium, the Victorian Oakley’s Mill warehouse, the medieval Wool Hall, medieval Scaplen’s Court and Sir Anthony Caro’s impressive quayside Sea Music sculpture.
Collection highlights include a unique Iron Age log boat, internationally significant artefacts from 16th and 17th Century Shipwrecks, the world’s finest public collection of Poole Pottery and a fine art collection of local artists including Augustus John and Henry Lamb.
The museum attracts around 170-180k visitors a year making it one of the most popular museums in the South of England.
Social media @PooleMuseum ·
Further information at http://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/
About Poole Museum Foundation
Poole Museum Foundation is an independent charity formed in 2017 to support the activities, collections and development of Poole Museum. The Foundation is currently supporting fundraising for the Our Museum Project www.poolemuseumfoundation.org
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK.
About High Streets Heritage Action Zones
The High Streets Heritage Action Zones is a £95 million government-funded programme led by Historic England and designed to secure lasting improvements to our historic high streets for the communities who use them.
Historic England is working with local people and partners through grant funding and sharing our skills to help breathe new life into high streets that are rich in heritage and full of promise – unlocking their potential and making them more attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors. The High Streets Heritage Action Zones scheme, backed by government funding, aims to help with the recovery of local high streets from regenerating historic buildings to helping to engage local communities through art and cultural projects. https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/heritage-action-zones/regenerating-historic-high-streets/
We are @HistoricEngland on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn using #HistoricHighStreets