THE MUSEUM of Royal Worcester is set to undergo a major £1.7million refurbishment in a bid to support Worcester’s drive to become a Heritage City.
The popular Severn Street museum will close its doors for five months on Tuesday, October 31 to start the refurbishment. A total of £1.4million of funding from National Lottery’s Heritage Lottery Fund will go towards the £1.7million project, ‘Celebrating 250 Years of Innovation, Industry and Craftsmanship’.
The new exhibition, due to open next spring, aims to bring the history of Royal Worcester porcelain to life, through stories and exhibits that focus on the social history, the sense of community that the factory inspired and the extent of its worldwide distribution.
Whilst staff will continue working in the office areas at the museum during the closure, the redevelopment will impact the museum shop, which, as well as providing a service to tourists and city shoppers, contributes a vital income to support care of the collections and ongoing overhead costs.
Closure of the shop would result in a loss of income, however, so Worcester City Council is allowing the shop to operate from the ground floor of the north wing of the Guildhall, that faces onto the High Street and has a dedicated entrance from the High Street itself.
Since the museum is a registered charity, the city council is offering a six-month lease at no cost.
As well as selling vintage and antique Royal Worcester made at the Severn Street factory, the shop also stocks the largest range of Portmeirion’s contemporary Royal Worcester goods in the region.
Past factory workers will continue to demonstrate their skills and add interest for visitors who will also be able to purchase bespoke items decorated by them and, for the first time in its history, the museum plans to operate the shop on a seven-day-a-week basis.
Founded in 1751, Royal Worcester exported its porcelain all over the world, including to monarchs and statesmen, before its closure in 2008.
Sir Michael Perry GBE, chairman of the Museum of Royal Worcester, said: “Our trustees are deeply grateful to the city for this generous offer. The shop on the High Street will ensure our presence throughout the refurbishment of the museum itself.”
Coun Paul Denham, chair of the city council’s income generation sub-committee, said: “The Museum of Royal Worcester plays a major part in our city’s appeal to tourists and I know their upcoming refurbishment will support Worcester’s drive to be a Heritage City for the 21st century. I’m very pleased we’re able to support the museum by hosting their excellent shop at the Guildhall for six months.”
