Refurbishment works have been completed on the Framework Knitters Museum’s Grade II listed cottage and frame shop buildings.
The £62,295 project included external works, which were carried out on the buildings, plus repairs to the roofs and chimneys, replacing the gutters, and repointing the walls. Also, adding insulation to the roofs and walls to improve energy efficiency and provide much-needed protection from weather conditions.
The funds for the work, which was undertaken by Stevenson Bros., were awarded through the Arts Council of England’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND).
MEND is an open-access capital fund, designed to help museums and local authorities undertake infrastructural and urgent maintenance works beyond the scope of day-to-day budgets.
Sarah Godfrey, Creative & Commercial Manager of the museum, said: “We’re delighted that work has completed on our cottage and frameshop buildings. It’s important to keep them alive and thanks to generous funding from the Arts Council, we were able to carry out these much-needed repairs.
“The restoration, which has also made the buildings more environmentally sustainable, will help make sure a wide range of people can continue to access the museum and celebrate our historical textile heritage for many years to come.”
Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “The Framework Knitters Museum is a place of considerable communal and historic value, which tells the fascinating 400-year history of framework knitting.
“It’s much loved by the local community and this work will help secure the long-term survival of the buildings. We’re proud to have supported the project through our Museum Estates and Development Fund (MEND).”
The museum is open Wednesday to Saturday between 11 am and 4 pm, and Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from 1.30 pm to 4 pm. Parker’s Yard is free to attend and open from Monday to Saturday, between 9.30 am and 4 pm, Sundays from 11:30 am to 4 pm and Bank Holiday Mondays from 11am to 4pm.
To find out more, please visit www.frameworkknittersmuseum.org.uk.