Redevelopment of Grade II listed building in Hereford to go ahead thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund support
Herefordshire Council has been awarded a £5 million grant to redevelop our Grade II listed building in Hereford’s Broad Street. The National Lottery Heritage Fund injection will completely revitalise the museum and art gallery building to significantly enhance the city’s cultural offer.
The project will see a contemporary museum and art exhibition centre within the cathedral quarter of the city. The revamped museum will also provide a new permanent home for the Herefordshire Hoard, one of the most significant medieval treasures ever discovered in Britain.
The Herefordshire Hoard
The dazzling collection comprises a gold arm bangle with beast head clasp, a pendant made from a sphere of rock crystal mounted in gold, a gold octagonal ring with black inlay and 29 rare coins mostly of Alfred the Great of Wessex and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. The hoard is thought to have been buried around 878.
The renovation plans include eight new galleries and display spaces, a temporary exhibition space and the restoration of the historic Woolhope club room. New commercial areas will include a retail space, roof-top café and events and education space. A spectacular viewing beacon and roof terrace will be accessible from the fifth floor courtyard space to provide 360-degree views over the city and surrounding landscape.
The redevelopment is our flagship project in the town’s investment plan, giving heritage-led regeneration and tourism a boost across the Midlands.
Councillor Harry Bramer, cabinet member, community services and assets, says:
“We are delighted to receive funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.
“Through the generous support of our funders we will be able breathe new life into the museum and art gallery. We are looking forward to building a world class museum for the 21st century that celebrates diversity, fosters creativity and sparks curiosity. The new museum and art gallery will transform Herefordshire’s cultural landscape by putting people, the environment and sustainability at the heart of what we do.”
Robyn Llewellyn, director of Midlands & East for the National Lottery Heritage Fund, says:
“I am delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting Herefordshire Council’s ambitious plans for its museum and art gallery redevelopment. This funding, which has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players, will significantly enhance the city’s cultural offer, ensuring that heritage projects represent and reflect local communities.”
The project is funded by £8 million from Herefordshire Council, £5 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £5 million from the Stronger Towns Fund.