Derelict building could become new site for museum

An application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund will be submitted in summer 2025

Plans to rescue a derelict building and turn it into the new home for the Wiltshire Museum are to be submitted for approval.

The project, which would rescue the Devizes Assize Court building, has been going through a two year development phase.

A full application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund will be submitted in 2025.

David Dawson, director, Wiltshire Museum said: "I'm looking forward to the challenge of fundraising...this project will be great for Devizes and Wiltshire."

Designs for what the site could look like have been made

Wiltshire Museum and the Devizes Assize Court Trust (DACT) have been working together to develop the Assizes for Devizes: Unlocking Wiltshire’s Stories project.

It received initial funding of £300,748 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in June 2023.

The project’s architects, Purcell, and their experienced design team have worked closely with the Museum, DACT and local organisations, to bring to life a shared vision for the new site as a cultural and community destination at the heart of Wiltshire.

Mr Dawson said: "We will be submitting planning permission to the council within the next month."

The plans include two large, designated learning and event spaces, new galleries, a special display space capable of hosting national-standard exhibitions, and a café that makes use of the new open space behind the Assize Court.

An application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund will be submitted in summer 2025.

Over the next year, the Museum will be preparing applications to Trusts and Foundations, as well as seeking support from philanthropists and benefactors.

If successful, work on the building will begin during 2026, with the aim to open the building in 2030.

Clare Phillips, lead Architect at Purcell said: "The project is very important because it restores the impressive Grecian style building designed by Thomas Henry Wyatt, which is in very poor condition, and brings it back into community use as part of the sharing and celebrating of Wiltshire’s stories.”

A major public fundraising appeal will be launched once the major commitment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been secured.

“There is still a long road ahead of us, but to see our vision of a revitalised building one step closer to fruition is fantastic," said Peter Troughton, chair of the Devizes Assize Court Trust.