CHANGES will be made to a Lymington museum, thanks to a £1.78million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery in the town centre will be refurbished, enabling new displays, upgaded art gallery space, an improved cafe area and enhanced entrance.

The grant will also allow a new public archive to be created to allow online and physical access to local history collections for the first time.

In total, the 'Future for St Barbe' project will cost in the region of £2.3million.

Around £545,000 is being raised from charitable trusts and foundations, local authorities and individuals.

And St Barbe still needs to secure £165,000 before the project can start.

David Rule, chairman of trustees at St Barbe, said: "This is fantastic news not just for St Barbe but for the public, for Lymington and the surrounding area and for our amazing team which has been dedicated to this project for almost 4 years now.

“This means we will be able to have a larger proportion of our collections on display in a flexible way and with full access to the collections via a public archive.

“We envisage a rise in visitor numbers and school visits; we expect to generate greater tourist interest in the area and for local people their heritage will be celebrated shared and stored for future generations. Community involvement will be at the centre of everything we do.”

Stuart McLeod, head of Heritage Lottery Fund, South East, said: “From farming and salt-making to boat-building and smuggling, the St Barbe Museum tells the fascinating story of the heritage of Lymington and the New Forest coast."

Mark Tomlinson, director of St Barbe said construction should be underway by early autumn, and opening in summer 2017.

"During the time we are closed we will deliver an exciting programme of events and exhibitions across the area to showcase our local history collections.

“This means that even when our building is closed, St Barbe will still have a strong presence in Lymington and the surrounding area.”