Heritage Grants
The Ware Museum is an independent museum run by volunteers. It focuses on the local history of Ware, and its galleries include exhibits on malting, the history of Ware, and a World War Two bunker. The museum received funding for building works to enclose an unused adjacent outside area. The main purpose of the extension was to achieve an enlarged display area with a working space for conservation.
Work was undertaken to refurbish and upgrade various parts of the museum including public galleries and offices. The project also helped to make one of the main public galleries more accessible through the installation of a ramp.
The funding was also used to build a new extension to the museum. The ‘Star Gallery’ houses displays on what it was like to work in Ware, the inns and stagecoaches, and an original medieval well (which was discovered during the extension building).
A multimedia display was created to showcase a newly discovered medieval well. This display includes recordings of regional accents speaking about the use of the well in medieval times.
Following the museum’s expansion, more volunteers were required to run the museum and galleries. The new volunteers were upskilled in their knowledge of the museum’s heritage and subject matter.