New gallery for the Herschel Museum of Astronomy

2nd February 2011

The Herschel Museum of Astronomy has announced that they have been granted funding to complete a brand new gallery.

The museum occupies a fully restored eighteenth century townhouse, however, space is very limited.  Museum curator Debbie James said: "Our aim was to raise funding for a brand new single story extension to house our temporary exhibitions and we wanted a gallery that would combine the very best in exciting modern design with a real sympathy for the existing historic building".

Funding has generously been awarded by many organisations including the Golsoncott Foundation, The Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust and Bath & North East Somerset Heritage Services.  

Work on the gallery is now in progress and it is anticipated that it will be completed in Spring 2011 and will open with a new exhibition. The Caroline Lucretia Gallery has been named to honour Caroline Herschel who played a vital role in the household at New King Street, was a first class astronomer in her own right, and was renowned for her work on comets.

Hetreed Ross Architects who are responsible for the design stated that: "the brief for the new gallery was disarmingly simple – but as so often, achieving effective simplicity can prove surprisingly complex in execution.

For further information on The Herschel Museum of Astronomy click here.