Amberley Museum has been awarded £433,766 following a successful application to the Museum Estates and Development Fund or MEND which is administered by Arts Council England with funding via the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

The grant will support the restoration and upgrade of the Bagging Shed area, which has a fascinating history. The total cost of the project will be £463,766.

The historic Bagging Shed area has been identified as a scheduled monument and also as a historic building at risk by Historic England. The site has plenty of tell as a major part of the original chalk and lime works. The special location features the original route of the railway which branched into the site from the mainline alongside the remainder of a Victorian lime kiln and is also home to the main entrance and site shop.

Richard Vernon, Chair, Board of Trustees, said: “This is immensely exciting news for Amberley Museum as it represents the first major project that we will undertake following the challenging times we have gone through in the last few years. This project demonstrates the significance of these buildings and will help support other improvements to the site in the short and medium term.”

Work is set to begin on the project this winter and will continue into the early spring of 2024 with full completion expected during 2024.

The project will provide a more fluid introduction to the site and will allow visitors to learn about historic chalk quarrying and the production of lime in an ideal location to bring history to life. The location will also become easier to navigate via the main entrance which will see improved ramp access alongside better interpretation of the site and its artefacts on display at the Bagging Shed and supporting its industrial history into the future.

The progressive museum is also running an appeal to raise funds for the steam engine ‘Polar Bear’ pictured above, after she was removed from service on the 29th of October following the expiry of her 10-year boiler certificate.