We are thrilled to announce that Poole Museum has received a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund of £2.2m for an exciting heritage project, “Our Museum: Rediscovering Poole’s Maritime Heritage”.
Read the Press Release here
Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project aims to transform Poole Museum into an outstanding cultural centre and a modern, thriving cultural space and community hub, greatly enriching the experience of Poole Quay and Old Town.
A refreshed, modern offering will see our popular museum continue to thrive and appeal to a wider audience. Positioned as part of the quayside offering, it will be both a heritage attraction and a community hub in the ‘Quay Quarter’, playing a part in the bigger picture supporting the rejuvenation of the Lower High Street and Quay. Poole Museum’s important historic buildings will be conserved and new spaces opened-up to the public for the first time. New visitor facilities and better access will be integral to the plans.
We will
- create three brand new maritime galleries to celebrate Poole’s maritime heritage.
- conserve and restore the Wool Hall, a significant Grade I listed medieval port building,
- take Poole Museum out into the community for a vibrant programme of outreach and events
- improve access and visitor facilities through the whole museum including installing a larger lift.
Work on the project will start late 2022. The buildings will be closed during 2023 for building work and the museum will take to the road, bringing Poole’s unique stories and heritage to the local community through a vibrant programme of outreach and the chance to get “behind the scenes”.
Sectional image showing the newly transformed museum. Credit ZMMA
The newly transformed museum will reopen in Spring 2024 and will include three brand new maritime galleries co-created with our local community. There will be opportunities for hands-on learning and new workshops developed with local teachers.
A big thank you to all of our funders, partners and supporters.
To keep in touch and hear about ways to get involved sign up to our mailing list or contact us at ourmuseumproject@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
