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Nov
£3.3 million restoration of Ripon Workhouse Museum begins
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Ripon Museum Trust has appointed a contractor for a £3.3 million refurbishment of the city’s workhouse museum and garden.
Called the Inspiration For a Fairer Futures project, the work will involve the restoration of the workhouse buildings which date back to the 1850s.
Dobson Construction Ltd, based in Ilkley, has been appointed to lead construction on the scheme, which is funded through the the National Lottery Heritage Fund, UK Shared Prosperity Fund and others.
The trust said the work will open up previously unseen rooms, improve accessibility and deliver environmentally sustainable upgrades including a new roof, window frames and enhanced insulation.
Alexa Vernon, director of Ripon Museum Trust, said:
We are delighted to partner with Dobson Construction Ltd to begin the essential capital and conversation works which mark the first step in bringing this ambitious redevelopment project to life.
For many years, critical repairs and restoration work have been deferred due to limited resources. Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other generous funders, we plan to conserve and restore the Ripon workhouse’s historic fabric and transform how communities experience and connect with its history and ask questions about the future.
Bryan Atkinson, of Dobson Construction Ltd, said:
We are delighted to chosen to work with Ripon Museum Trust on this important and ambitious project and can’t wait to get underway. Dobson’s as a company specialise in heritage works, so we know the degree of sensitivity on projects on this nature.
Redevelopment work began yesterday (November 3) at the workhouse museum, meaning a small section of the site will be temporarily closed.
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