Abingdon County Hall Museum

MASSIVE BOOST TO ABINGDON COUNTY HALL MUSEUM

Abingdon County Hall Museum has succeeded in obtaining nearly £2 million (£1,990,000) Heritage Lottery Funding for improvements to its facilities and accessibility.

 “English Heritage is working with Abingdon Town Council to secure the future of the County Hall and Museum, bringing Abingdon’s seventeenth century building in the heart of the town in line with the needs of today, whilst carefully conserving the iconic Grade 1 listed building,” said Dr. Gilmour.

In summary the project will: 

·         achieve full accessibility to 75% of the building, improved accessibility to the remaining 25%;

·         improve education and community facilities;

·         include public and disabled toilets;

·         include facilities for temporary exhibitions and permanent displays at all times and hanging space for 2D collections. 

·         This will be accompanied by a programme of community consultation, education, marketing       and audience development before and after reopening. 

·         Improvements to the building’s environment and security will finally enable the Museum to give people access to important collections of Abingdon’s history.   

Specific improvements planned include an external lift with stops to the basement, street-level, the undercroft and the Sessions Hall Gallery.  The design of the lift will have to be agreed with English Heritage and will be subject to planning permission. The basement cellar, the Sessions Hall Gallery and the attic rooms will all see improvements. 

The basement will be refurbished completely to provide education space, new toilets and a cafe with shop and display space.  The 1901 gas powered water pump, currently seldom seen, will be refurbished and displayed with moving parts.

The lovely 17th Century Sessions Hall Gallery will be improved environmentally so that more delicate and valuable objects can be displayed and the room, so hot in summer and so cold in winter, will be improved for visitors and staff alike.

The attic floor will house an enlarged and improved M.G. exhibition and offer facilities for study.

 “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring a much loved building, the symbol of Abingdon, into active use for the 21^st Century,” said Museum Management Committee Chairman, Cllr. Julie Mayhew-Archer.  “The elderly, the disabled, and even parents with buggies will be able to use the building and reach exhibitions that they are currently unable to visit as they cannot manage the large number of stairs.  A lift, placed discreetly at the back of the building, will go to the basement and the Gallery.”

Michelle Davies, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the South East, said

"We're passionate about helping breathe new life into historic buildings so that they can remain at the heart of local communities.  Today's news will help Abingdon Town Council to do just that, by enabling them to lay firm foundations for their long term plans to transform the experience for visitors at the Old County Hall."

Abingdon Town Council Leader, Cllr. Lesley Legge, said, “The two well attended public consultation meetings held last year demonstrated the public’s support for improvements.  Responses to the “Town Crier” questionnaires and other surveys also showed that people were keen to see the Old County Hall and the Museum made more accessible and used more for the community.”

 “The £3,500,000 project will provide a valuable enhancement to Abingdon’s town centre facilities,” said Town Clerk Nigel Warner.  “The Museum will be looking to raise at least £500,000 from other bodies, charitable sources and individuals.  The Town Council has already had indications of support from both the Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council, but we hope very much that the public will support this project through the Abingdon Museum Friends or in any way they can.”

The project now moves into the “Development phase.”  It is anticipated that work “on the ground” would commence in 2010 and would be completed in 2012.

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Notes to editors

1.         Any queries on this matter should be directed to Mr Nigel Warner, Town Clerk, Abingdon Town Council on 01235 522642

2.         The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy.  Since 1994 it has supported more than 22,500 projects, allocating over £3.6 billion across the UK. 

www.hlf.org.uk