Since opening its doors to the public way back in 1989 the popular and much loved Foxton Canals Museum closed on 14 December 2014 – but not forever!
The reason of the closure is that the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust, the body running the museum, was successful in acquiring a major grant from the Arts Council which, together with other funding, will enable it to to carry out a radical redevelopment of the Museum site.
The new project is planned to rise like the Phoenix form the “ashes” of the old.
Not only will there be new things to see but the name will also be changing. Museum Keeper, Mike Beech explains.
“As the Museum stands on the site of the building that originally housed the steam boiler that drove the boat lift, we thought the new development should be called ‘The Boiler House’.
“Those who constructed the original building and the lift, and those who used it over a hundred years ago, could never in their wildest dreams have imagined what it will have to offer when the refurbishment is complete!”
Working in partnership with HoloVis International Limited, the Lutterworth based audio visual consultants and the world leader in sensory experiences, the Trust is planning great things for the future of the Museum site. Many of the existing items will remain but, alongside them there will be a number of state-of-of-the-art interactive exhibits designed, not only to uncover the treasures of this historically important site, but to bring its heritage to life for the benefit of its many visitors.
The refurbished museum is planned to throw open its doors, complete after its 21st Century updating, at Easter 2015.
Mike says, “We are confident that the experience for visitors will be as good as you can get anywhere in the world!”
Find out more and stay up to date
Regular updates on the progress of the refurbishment will be issued as well as being posted on the Trust’s website and on the Facebook page.
