National Slate Museum secures £12m for major redevelopment 

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales has secured £12m for its redevelopment of the National Slate Museum.

The capital from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will support the transformation of the Llanberis-based museum’s Grade 1 listed building.

Home to the museum since 1972, works include improvements tothe building based at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in North Wales.

The redevelopment will create a new learning centre, play area, shop and café, as well as improving accessibility throughout the site.The Welsh language – spoken by 100% of the staff at the National Slate Museum – will be “embedded at all stages of the project”, Amgueddfa Cymru said.

Dedicated exhibition spaces will allow for more items to be displayed, and it will “continue to develop its role as a living museum” by offering training and opportunities for endangered traditional heritage skills.

Jane Richardson, chief executive of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, called the funding a milestone in the Llanberis redevelopment project and is “exciting news for us, for the wider community, and for everyone in Wales.”

Councillor R.Medwyn Hughes, Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, Cyngor Gwynedd, added: “I am delighted to see a sum of this scale being awarded to this heritage location that is so important to Gwynedd, Wales and the World.

Alongside this significant grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the redevelopment has secured support through partnerships with Cyngor Gwynedd (via UK Government) as part of the Llewyrch o’r Llechi project, Welsh Government, and other funders.

While the building is currently closed to the public, work has already been undertaken to move items from the museum to temporary locations in preparation for building works on site.

During the temporary closure, via range of pop-up exhibitions and events continue across the World Heritage Site through Amgueddfa ar y Lon | Museum on the Move activities.