Planning

Funding secured for Wiltshire Museum relocation project

Image: A design for the museum from the project's website (Wiltshire Museum)

Wiltshire Museum’s plan to relocate to the historic Devizes Assize Court has received a £1 million boost from two foundations, marking a significant milestone in its restoration project.

Two major charitable foundations have pledged a combined £1 million towards the restoration of Devizes Assize Court as the new home for Wiltshire Museum. The Rothschild Foundation and The Julia Rausing Trust each committed £500,000 late last year to support the transformation of the Grade II* listed building.

The museum, which houses a Bronze Age archaeology collection including treasures from the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, plans to submit an application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund in summer 2025 for additional major funding.

Over the coming six months, the museum will seek further support from trusts, foundations, philanthropists, and benefactors to secure the required match-funding. The project’s current timeline projects construction work to begin in 2026, with doors opening to the public in 2030.

Peter Troughton, chair of the Devizes Assize Court Trust, said: “These are exceptional pledges which will help towards our ambitious fundraising target, needed to support the next phase of our ambitious project.”

The Devizes Assize Court, constructed in 1835, has stood derelict since the 1980s and has featured on Historic England’s ‘Heritage At Risk register’ since 1988. Members of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, the charity responsible for running the museum, currently contribute over £30,000 annually to support this phase of the project.

A major public fundraising campaign is set to commence once funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been secured, the museum said.