SUMMERLEE REOPENS AFTER £10M REDEVELOPMENT
One of Scotland's leading visitor attractions, the 4-star rated Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge, has re-opened after a £10m Heritage Lottery Fund supported redevelopment.
The project has seen a ground-up refurbishment of the museum's main exhibition hall, which was formed in the mid 1980s out of the site of the Hydrocon Crane company. The original exhibition hall, while providing a superb space for the the museum's collection of working machinery, had become in need of extensive upgrading, to maintain its position in a competitive leisure market. The Heritage Lottery Fund award, one of the biggest in Scotland, recognised Summerlee's importance in Scotland's industrial revolution and as a 21st century visitor attraction.
The hall closed in the autumn of 2006 and was completely stripped of all its exhibits. By spring 2007 only the steel frame remained and main contractors, Carillion plc, began work to create the new facility.
The refurbished hall now allows enhanced displays of Summerlee's collection of social and industrial history, including many 'star' items hitherto not on public view. From a new reception and shop area, the visitor will move through an area explaining Lanarkshire's pre-history and geology, to the dawn and rise of the industrial era. Also included will be new sections covering transport, the war years and social history. Additional interactive displays will show the iron-making process and give a friendly 'hands on' feel to the displays.
The new work has also seen the development of:
- new cafe area, with exhibition area, shop and toilets
- the creation of an education and community meeting rooms
- the refurbishment of the conservation workshops.
Admission to Summerlee is free. For full details on the museum log onto www.visitlanarkshire.com/summerlee
