Petersfield Museum reopens after major redevelopment

Petersfield Museum in Hampshire is throwing open its doors to visitors again on Wednesday 9th June after a major £4 million redevelopment. The project to convert the former police station and courthouse into a museum was supported through its development stage with a grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund.

Subsequently awarded £1,704,900 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside grants from a wide range of funders and donors, the buildings, exhibitions and programmes have been transformed, and an exciting new outdoor space created in the courtyard. 

 The new museum features:

• A film featuring Museum Patron Daniel Day Lewis reading the poetry of Edward Thomas creates a sense of history and place about Petersfield’s location in the South Downs National Park
• New galleries charting life in rural England from the Palaeolithic era to the modern day
• The original courtroom and police cells that form part of the site of the Museum
• The Edward Thomas Study Centre, created in partnership with the Edward Thomas Fellowship 

Dan McWilliam, Museum Director said: “What started as a small collection of objects in a single room just over 22 years ago, is now a great example of a modern museum that reflects the history and stories of its local communities.”

photo credit: Ryan Watts

Editor’s notes

1)    The Architectural Heritage Fund is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. We are the only specialist heritage social investor in the UK. We provide advice, development grants and loans.

2)   To find out more about Petersfield Museum, and to book a ticket visit: www.petersfieldmuseum.co.uk 

3)    Photos provided by Petersfield Museum. Credits Michel Focard de Fontefiguieres, and Ryan Watts

4)    For media enquiries please contact Oliver Brodrick-Ward, on 020 79250199 / oliver.brodrick-ward@ahfund.org.uk