The existing period rooms progress through history from the Tudor to the Victorian period, and although excellent in their day, are now not particularly appealing to the visitor whose expectations of what comprises a quality museum experience has changed. They sit rather uncomfortably in a space that was never designed to be used for this purpose. The journey through time will be retained, but in a more modern and innovative way. The gallery will be multi-disciplinary in content, incorporating textiles and costume, ceramics, paintings and furniture alongside domestic items to explain changes in style, materials and domestic arrangements over a span of four centuries.

Objects will be arranged in cases and in open settings to give a period ‘feel’ and appropriate sound and lighting will add to the overall ambience. They will be interpreted in a much more innovative and engaging way and the visitor will be able to move from one setting or section to the next in any order they choose. This creates scope to design something that is more spontaneous and therefore more imaginative and surprising. At the same time the objects themselves will have chance to ‘speak’ as they’ll be freed from the clutter of the current displays and can be appreciated in their own right. Some will stand on their own and some will be part of smaller, intimate settings illustrating a particular period or style.

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