Southampton's medieval God's House Tower to reopen

God's House Tower was used as the city gaol in the 1700s

A £2.7m refit to bring a 700-year-old tower in the centre of Southampton back into public use begins next month.

God's House Tower - once part of the city's medieval walls - is to be turned into an arts and heritage venue with a cafe and elevated views of the city.

Work will include the installation of a lift and a new extension.

The former gatehouse, which was used as a city jail in the 1700s, has been empty since an archaeology museum moved out in 2011.

The tower, owned by the city council and leased to A Space Arts, is expected to open in summer 2019 and include an exhibition to bring the building's history back to life.

Tony Spencer of A Space Arts, who is developing a programme for the exhibition space, said it would be a privilege to retell "the forgotten history of God's House Tower".

The project is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England, among others.

The building, shown here in the late 1800s, was once a gatehouse in the city's medieval walls