St Helens' The World of Glass reopens after £1m refurbishment

The museum's glass-blowing workshop allows visitors to try their hand at glass-making

A museum charting the history of glass production has reopened after undergoing a £1m refurbishment.

The World of Glass in St Helens has been refurbished as part of a wider investment in the Merseyside town.

The museum's creative designer Nichola Ward said the revamp had "added a layer of hands-on engagement" to allow people "to have a go and get stuck in".

Executive director Pete Frost said it would give visitors the chance to celebrate the town's "proud history".

St Helens has a long history in glass production.

The Pilkington brothers and others made it a world leader in glass-making and the town was home to the world's first regenerative furnace, which allowed for the glass to be made continuously for the first time.

The museum is built alongside the Sankey canal and around a Grade II-listed tank house, which stands on a network of tunnels once used to channel heat and airflow.

Curator Hannah Billinge said there were "so many beautiful objects" in the museum's collections

The museum first opened as a millennium project in 2000

Mr Frost said the canal was "really important for bringing coal into the town".

"They used to pump hot water back into the canal, and it became affectionally known as 'The Hotties', because it was so hot, people used to bathe in there and swim in there."

The museum first opened as a millennium project in 2000, but the charity which runs it has struggled to find the funds to invest in it and maintain it without charging an entrance fee.

However, a successful bid for cash from the government's Town Deal Fund, as well as some private donations, have allowed the site to be revitalised.

"We thought it was absolutely essential that the people of the town are able to access their history for free," Mr Frost said.

"So we hope that people will come and celebrate with us the incredible heritage that we have, and this proud history that we have."

The revamp has allowed for the creation of more "hands-on" exhibits

Ms Ward said the funding had allowed the museum's offer to be brought up to date.

"We have added a layer of hands-on engagement for younger visitors and new audiences to have a go and get stuck in, rather than just reading panels on walls," she said.

Alongside learning about the town's history, the museum also offers visitors the chance to view thousands of glass artefacts from all over the world, some of which are up to 4,000 years old.

Curator Hannah Billinge said there were "so many beautiful objects" that deciding what to show took some thought.

"It was just trying to tell the best story and pulling out the objects that reflected the story that we wanted to tell and the important milestones in glass-making," she said.

"It's a real eye-opener to what glass is and the beauty of it.

"It is an important collection that is one of a kind."