TWO historic buildings in Poole are set to be restored and opened up to the public.

The Grade I listed Town Cellars and Scaplen’s Court form part of the Poole Museum estate but are not open to the public on a daily basis.

Residents are being asked about Poole council’s plans for the ancient monuments, one of which dates back to the 1300s.

The public’s feedback will inform part of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to support the Our Museum project.

The first phase of the project will focus on the ground floor of the museum and the Town Cellars, which currently houses Poole History Centre. The museum’s aim is to conserve and restore the Town Cellars to their original form - the King’s Hall, which was a grand wool warehouse dating from the height of Poole’s maritime power.

It was rebuilt after being partly destroyed by Spanish raiders in 1405. It is one of the only remaining buildings of its type in northern Europe.

The restoration will see a large, accessible venue for displaying important Poole maritime artefacts created, and an area that could accommodate up to 150 people.

Michael Spender, Borough of Poole museums manager said: “Our buildings have significant historical importance and need attention in order to conserve them. The Town Cellars are one of the most important surviving medieval port buildings in northern Europe. This will preserve our important heritage for future generations to enjoy.

“The renovated Kings Hall will provide a fantastic historic cultural attraction and community space for Poole Quay,” he added.

The proposals for restoring the Town Cellars include: repairing the fabric of the building; removing the 1970s mezzanine levels and creating a large hall suitable for events; returning the floor to its original level, with glass areas to display maritime objects; installing a new CGI projection to show how people used the building in medieval times; relocating the history centre to the fourth and fifth floors of the main museum building; creating a new ground floor café in the atrium, and installing a new ground floor toilet and shop.

There will be drop-in sessions at Poole Museum where residents can speak to someone face to face about the proposals on Thursday, June 7, from 11am to 1pm and on Monday, June 25, between 2pm and 4pm.

The consultation on the first phase of the Our Museum project will close on Friday, June 29, and development of the buildings will start in spring 2020.