2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Victoria Fear)
The dream of a £9 million museum to house the treasures collected by one of the country’s oldest historical societies is a step closer to becoming reality. Spalding Gentlemen’s Society is hoping to apply to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for more than £4 million to extend its museum in the town’s Broad Street into the neighbouring former business centre to create a museum along with education and research centre . Newly released images show a glimpse of what the future could hold if the museum is built.
Members have been awarded £594,738 by the Heritage Fund to help progress the ‘New Beginnings’ plans to apply for the full National Lottery grant of £4,332,341. The project is estimated to cost about £9 million in total — and it’s hoped it could add an attraction that brings people into the town centre. The society’s much loved Broad Street museum is currently closed while work has started to the repair the 1911 building, which has suffered damage by the sinking of a later extension.
The museum has decamped to Ayscoughfee Hall - the home of its founder Maurice Johnson II. Petronella Keeling, society chairman, says the museum will make a big difference to the town’s future and is delighted to be able to move onto the next stage. She said: “We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans to build the museum extension and bring a wonderful heritage and cultural facility to Spalding, South Holland and the wider region. “The society would also like to thank Spalding Town Board for their contribution of £20,000 towards the project. “The museum will make a huge difference to the town - it will be a big visitor attraction as we are well known in the academic world for our collection.
” The development grant, provided by the Heritage Fund, will allow the society to do the preparatory work, such as public consultations, surveys and apply for planning permission, before submitting the larger application. If given the green light, the society will repurpose the last remaining building of Leverton’s, a well-known agricultural dealer which was Spalding’s largest employer in the 1950s. Leverton’s, which had the Caterpillar dealership, also owned buildings in Westlode Street but these went onto be demolished in 2005.
The business was later bought by Finning UK & Ireland in 1997. Originally built as a car show room for Leverton’s in the 1920s, the garage was converted into a training centre for the company in the 1972. It went onto be used by Stamford College and its last use was a business centre.
And the building could once again be used as a centre of learning under the society’s plans. Mrs Keeling said: “We will be working with school age children to make a difference to young people and their education. “There will also be ways to attract families with workshops and space for classes of children.
“We are a learned society. Maurice Johnson II brought artefacts to the town to help educate and inspire so we are carrying on his work.” The society - founded in 1710 - is currently working on a £2 million project to help repair its beautiful 1911 building on Broad Street, which is being damaged due to the sinking of an extension which was built in the 1960s.
It was awarded £1,845,335 from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport last year to go towards the costs of repairing the 1911 building. This museum was designed by Stamford architect Joseph Boothroyd Corby and its frontage features carvings created by a First World War Belgian refugee, Jules Tuerlinckx of Mailines. Since the museum closed in September, a number of surveys have been completed by experts to learn more about condition of the soils and walls.
The society, which was granted designated status by Arts Council England for its original collection , is currently holding exhibitions in Ayscoughfee Hall and helped to boost visitor numbers to the museum . What do you think? Post a comment below..
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