KIRKLEATHAM Museum is set for a major transformation after securing a £272,000 grant jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and the Wolfson Foundation.
The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund’s aim is to support museums across England to improve displays, access, and collections care.
The funding will support the redevelopment of Kirkleatham Museum’s core gallery spaces, creating modern, accessible, and inspiring environments that better reflect the stories, people and heritage of Redcar and Cleveland.
Led by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, the project will reimagine the museum’s permanent galleries around three central themes: People and Place, Industry and Innovation, and Heritage and Discovery.
The redevelopment will replace older displays with vibrant, flexible, and inclusive designs, introducing improved displays and storytelling, enhanced accessibility, and better environmental conditions to care for the museum’s collections.
At the heart of the transformation is the internationally significant Saxon Princess collection, a rare 7th-century Anglo-Saxon burial discovery. The project will provide improved conservation, lighting, and display, ensuring this nationally important collection is protected while bringing its story to life in a more engaging and meaningful way.
Kirkleatham Museum welcomes around 80,000 visitors each year and plays a vital role in the borough’s cultural life. However, many of its gallery spaces have not seen major investment in recent decades. This project will address that, creating a museum experience that meets modern expectations and inspires new and returning visitors alike.
Design work will begin in April 2026 with work in the galleries due to take place early 2027. The redeveloped galleries will be expected to reopen to the public in spring 2027.
Cllr Carrie Richardson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate and Culture at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “This significant investment is fantastic news for Kirkleatham Museum and for the borough as a whole. Kirkleatham is one of our most important cultural assets, telling the stories of our people, our industry, and our heritage.
“This funding will allow us to transform the museum’s galleries into modern, inclusive, and engaging spaces, while ensuring nationally important collections like the Saxon Princess are protected and presented to the highest standards. It’s an exciting step forward that will help inspire future generations and strengthen Kirkleatham’s role at the heart of our community.”