Poole Museum gets £2.2m lottery grant for revamp

The revamp will include the creation of three new galleries

A project to transform a museum into an "outstanding cultural centre" has been awarded more than £2.2m of National Lottery funding.

Dorset's Poole Museum said its £4.3m revamp would allow the conservation and restoration of the "at risk" Grade I listed Wool Hall, as well as the creation of three new galleries.

Work will start early this year.

The museum will close at the end of the year and reopen "in the first half of 2024", BCP Council said.

The Our Museum: Rediscovering Poole's Maritime Heritage project "will transform and refresh Poole Museum enabling it to continue to thrive and appeal to a wider audience", the authority added.

"New visitor facilities and better access for all are integral to the plans," it continued.

Poole Museum is housed in a Grade I listed Victorian warehouse

Councillor Beverley Dunlop, cabinet member for culture and vibrant places, said the work was "a significant project in the transformation of the quay and Lower High Street, as a flourishing and vibrant historical waterfront that reflects our ambitious vision for Poole".

The museum was previously awarded £352,000 of lottery funding to develop the plans.

It has now received £2.24m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which BCP Council said would enable it to "be transformed into an outstanding cultural centre and community hub".

Wool Hall is one of the most important medieval port buildings in Europe

The museum has also secured some funding "from a number of local and national charitable trusts and foundations", the council said.

It added the charity of trustees, Poole Museum Foundation, would continue to work with the museum "to reach the final targets".

During its closure for structural and building work, the museum will "take to the road" and run a programme of outreach events in the community, including with local schools.