The long-running campaign to rescue and redevelop a prominent Wiltshire building left derelict for decades has hit a major milestone.
The Grade II listed Devizes Assize Court has been empty since the 1980s and has featured on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register due to its deteriorating condition.
Plans to transform the site into the new home of the Wiltshire Museum have been progressing for years and could now take a jump forward.
A planning application for the project will be submitted to Wiltshire Council this month, which will outline the vision for the building.
Wiltshire Museum and the Devizes Assize Court Trust (DACT) have been working to make the plans a reality and the project’s architect Purcell has been developing the designs.
READ MORE: Devizes Assize Court museum plans 'in development phase'
Peter Troughton, chair of DACT, said: “We are delighted to have reached this important milestone in our project to restore the Devizes Assize Court and bring it back for the people of Devizes for community use.
“The Trust is very grateful for the support we have had so far.
“There is still a long road ahead of us, but to see our vision of a revitalised building one step closer to fruition is fantastic.”
The plans include two designated learning and event spaces, new galleries, a special display space capable of hosting national-standard exhibitions, and a cafe that makes use of the new open space behind the Assize Court.
Clare Phillips, the lead architect on the project, added: “We have all enjoyed the collaborative process of unlocking the potential of the former Assize Courts to create a welcoming and inclusive new home for the internationally significant Wiltshire Museum collection.
“The project is very important because it restores the impressive Grecian style building designed by Thomas Henry Wyatt, which is in very poor condition, and brings it back into community use as part of the sharing and celebrating of Wiltshire’s stories.”
In June 2023, the project received initial funding, totalling £300,748, from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This financed a development phase in which plans for the redevelopment of the site were drawn up.
Another application will be made to the fund in 2025, to raise the money to make the project a reality.
If successful, work will begin during 2026, ahead of opening the building in 2030.
The planning application will be open for public consultation on the Wiltshire Council website once live, while the museum is also hosting a briefing session at 8pm on Tuesday, August 13.
Residents can sign up through the museum’s website.
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