Scaffolds and Skips
One of the things museums have to be good at is preserving old objects so that future generations can enjoy them. Recently, at the Vale & Downland Museum, we've had to turn our attention to preserving the museum itself!
From the street, the museum looks as if it's just a small and homely cottage. The brick facade dates from 1780 but it hides a much older 16th century timber-framed building. Known as 'The Old Surgery', for many years it was where Wantage people went to consult the doctor. Before that it was a cloth merchant's house and a weaver's cottage. In the 1970s, when the surgery closed and the museum trust took over the site, a modern Scandinavian-style cruck-framed extension was built on to house the cafe and visitor information service. The main galleries were also added and the 18th century Hunt's Barn was moved from East Hendred and re-erected to form the part of the galleries where you can see a Wantage-built theshing machine and Damon Hill's Williams F1 car. So, instead of just being a cottage, the museum is more like the Tardis, getting bigger the further you go into it.
Unlike the museums in Banbury, Abingdon and Newbury, the Vale & Downland has to raise most of its own income. There has never been a lot of money to spend on maintenance. Over the years the buildings have deteriorated and 'The Old Surgery' and the 1970s additions have suffered most. Margarine tubs, ice-cream boxes and plastic buckets became a familiar scene in the visitor centre whenever it rained. Attempts to make temporary repairs were not very successful. The trustees were mindful that their lease from the Vale of White Horse District Council makes them fully responsible for all repairs and for keeping the buildings in good condition.
About three years ago, a chartered building surveyor was commissioned to carry out a thorough survey and make recommendations for repairs. The aim was to get the buildings up to a reasonable standard so that a properly planned five-yearly maintenance cycle can be put in place. All well and good - but how to raise the necessary money? Our support group, the Friends of the Museum, generously donated £2,000 but what about the rest?
We decided to apply to WREN, aka Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd, who distribute money obtained from the Landfill Tax. It was a daunting prospect, as the application forms and guidance notes are 26 pages long, and the process took months. However, the nice people at WREN eventually decided to provide £30,000 out of an expected building cost of £45,000. But when we went out to tender, we were in for a shock. Many local firms did not even bother to submit a price and the lowest tender we got was about £10,000 dearer than originally expected. Then we faced another shock - the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 came into force and consequently we had to use a much more expensive firm. In the end the contract price was £40,000 more than expected. So if any reader has recently won the lottery….
The refurbishment works continue until just before Christmas but the museum will remain open throughout. For safety reasons, we had to shut for a fortnight in October but otherwise we are open throughout the three-month project. We hope you will enjoy the refurbished museum and any donations towards our much depleted funds will be very much appreciated.
