Swindon & Wiltshire News
Wiltshire Museum secures £8.5 million to move to new home
Wiltshire Museum has been awarded £8.5 million towards the £14.8 million Assizes for Devizes project to transform the derelict Assize Court building into a spectacular new home.
The grant is coming from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Established in 1874, Wiltshire Museum is home to nationally important collections, including treasures from the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site landscape.
This Assizes for Devizes project will enable the museum to do justice to its internationally important collections, whilst also bringing the Assizes Court building – which is currently on the Heritage At Risk register – back to life
David Dawson, director of Wiltshire Museum, said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Fund has demonstrated its confidence in our plans to transform the former Devizes Assize Court into the new home for a reimagined Wiltshire Museum.
“At last we will be able to give the museum’s internationally significant collections a fitting home, while rescuing an important at-risk listed building and providing a focal point for town centre renewal.
“We are grateful to National Lottery players, our loyal members and our other funders, existing and future, for their commitment and support.”
Peter Troughton, chair of Devizes Assize Court Trust, which initially saved the building by purchasing it in 2018 with the support of generous donors, said: “The National Lottery Heritage Fund award to the Wiltshire Museum is fantastic news.
“It will transform the museum, save the historic Assize Court building and give the people of Devizes a community hub like no other.
“It will be an enormous help to the campaign to achieve the vision for the award-winning museum, already supported by the town, Wiltshire County Council and leading charitable foundations.”
Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re thrilled to support this transformational project that will breathe new life into Devizes Assize Court and create a world-class home for Wiltshire Museum and its significant collections.
“As the UK’s largest funder for heritage, we understand the lasting benefits that projects like this bring – instilling pride in our communities and the places we call home.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, this investment will not only save an important historic building but also deliver a vibrant cultural hub that benefits the local community and attracts visitors from far and wide. The impact of this project will be felt for generations to come.”
The current Museum comprises of five buildings, including two Georgian town houses, with 25 different floors levels.
The Museum now has just over £3 million to raise to fully fund the project. A public fundraising campaign will be launched in the near future.
