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17 Oct 2012

Museum of Somerset reopens following £7m revamp

Image: The Earl of Wessex at the museum

The Museum of Somerset in Taunton has now fully reopened following a £7m redevelopment of the site.

The Earl of Wessex officially opened the attraction during a visit to the region. The Earl also opened a new bridge connecting the museum to a newly created Castle Green public space.

Somerset County Council (SCC) invested £1.8m in the project, which is designed to explore the story of the county from prehistoric times through to the modern day. Heritage Lottery Fund provided a £4.8m grant for the scheme.

Exhibits at the revamped attraction include the Frome Hoard, one of the largest collections of Roman coins found in the UK. A learning centre and a café are also on offer.

Birmingham-based fit-out contractor The Hub was appointed to work on the scheme by SCC last summer, which has also included the provision of a gallery for touring exhibitions.

David Hall, Somerset County Council's Cabinet Member for Heritage Services, said: "We were delighted to welcome The Earl of Wessex to Taunton and to the Museum of Somerset, and to show off the wonderful achievement of everyone involved in its restoration and improvement.

"The creation of this dynamic and exciting new museum has acted as a catalyst for the regeneration of Taunton itself, with the creation of new public realm spaces including Castle Green."

Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society owns Taunton Castle and much of the surrounding Castle Green area.