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HLF grant for Bowes Museum
The Bowes Museum in Durham has secured a £3.3m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to assists with the redevelopment of the attraction.
The museum gained a ‘Stage One Pass’ for the funding in 2006 and money released as part of the initial approval has been used to draw up detailed designs for the project.
Work on the museum will include the redesign of the entrance hall, which will incorporate easier access to the gift shop and Café Bowes, both of which are to be revamped.
Two new galleries will be constructed, enabling a vast amount of previously unseen pieces to be shown.
The larger one will showcase the museum’s silver and other precious objects and will also be used as an introduction to the Silver Swan musical automaton, which will be interpreted in an ‘innovative and exciting’ way.
The second new gallery will house the museum’s collection of textiles and dresses.
Adrian Jenkins, director of The Bowes Museum, said: “The Museum is going through a very exciting period and the funding will allow us to realise our aims of creating better access to the collections while enriching visitors’ enjoyment.”
The HLF award follows the announcement that the museum is to receive £500,000 from The Monument Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts.
The Bowes Museum is also working closely with One NorthEast through the County Durham Economic Partnership to achieve further capital investment.