Stones laid to celebrate the life and times of well-known Herefordshire inventor Alfred Watkins are to be dug up for safe keeping while work takes place at the Museum Resource and Learning Centre in Hereford’s Friar Street.
The stones will be lifted by Cllr Roy Stockton, Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member (Community Services) tomorrow morning (Tues, May 23) prior to the start of work on the £1.8 million third phase of work at the centre.
The artist who created the stones, sculptor David England, will also be present.
Funding for the next phase comes from the Heritage Lottery Fund (£1.2 million), and around from Herefordshire Council (£600,000).
The new extension to the building – to be built by Leominster-based J. Harper and Sons - will include a new learning centre and exhibition area.
The work is due to be completed in summer next year.
“This is a good news story for the county as it means work is proceeding to ensure Herefordshire’s heritage will be protected and made available for research and educational purposes for many generations to come,” said Cllr Stockton.
“The transformation of the old telephone exchange into the Museum Resource and Learning Centre is a huge feather in the county’s cap as it boasts modern facilities which are state of the art and the envy of many other counties,” added Cllr Stockton.
“The new facilities will mean that the 100,000 objects which will be housed at the centre will be more accessible to schoolchildren, visitors and researchers.”
Since the opening of the building, in December 2004, more than 1,000 visitors, including around 400 researchers, have been to the facility.