Ipswich Museum: Contractors for £8.7m revamp needed

A specialist contractor to restore the Grade II* listed building and one to carry out the internal improvements are now needed to undertake refurbishment work.

The redevelopment of Ipswich Museum, which opened in its current location in 1881, is set to cost £8.7m.

Ipswich Museum, Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

The refurbishment will create more space in the building to exhibit the wonderful collections and will provide better visitor facilities including new toilets and a café.

The museum staff have been working since its closure in October to ensure that all collections are carefully cleaned and packed away before the redevelopment work began.

The woolly mammoth and giraffe are being carefully covered for protection, with other items being housed elsewhere until the redevelopment is complete. 

Cllr Carole Jones and Frank Hardgreave at Ipswich Museum just before its revamp, Charlotte Bond (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Now that many of the thousands of artefacts have been safely removed and stored, contractors are required to restore the building fabric before internal works can be progressed.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded the museum £4.3m for the project, with backing from Ipswich Borough Council. 

Ipswich Museum - last look before its revamp, Charlotte Bond (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for planning and museums, said: “Ipswich Museum is a Grade II* listed building, so the chosen contractors must demonstrate they have the skills to work sensitively on such an important building in our town.

Councillor Carole Jones, Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

“This redevelopment will respond carefully to the Museum’s 19th century character, preserving the significant Victorian fabric and fittings, whilst also delivering improvements that will allow us to display more of our collections across the galleries.

“Ipswich Museum is a beautiful historic venue that provides a vital educational community space, so we need to ensure that contractors carrying out this work do so with the utmost care.”

The redevelopment is being funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Ipswich Borough Council, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wolfson Trust and Friends of Ipswich Museums.

Ipswich Museum, Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)