Ref. 29565-19RELICS from Cricklade's past may be housed in a purpose-built building near the town's library.

Cricklade Museum is currently in a former chapel in Calcutt Street but the town council plans to find it a new home in the High Street.

Cricklade Historical Society runs the museum but leases the building, which was built in 1852, from the town council at a peppercorn rent.

Town councillors have decided to submit an outline planning application for a new building behind its offices.

If the application is a success they will look at the cost and where to get funding from later.

North Wiltshire District Council owns the Ockwell's building which houses the Cricklade town council offices, a doctor's surgery, a library and a tourist information point.

Tom Ramsden-Binks, who has been the museum's curator for the last 20 years, has been pushing for a more central building for years.

"This location is pretty awful," he said. "It is not in a key area so tourists and people passing through the town don't bother coming down here."

The current building suffers from damp which can make metal exhibits rust and make paper prone to mould. At the moment dehumidifiers are needed to control the damp.

It also does not have enough room to display all its antiquities which include coins dated from 974AD to 1087AD which were forged in the town's own mint. A Cricklade penny is now worth around £2,000. Other items in the collection are maps, photographs and archives as well as Henry II's town charter of 1155.

Mr Ramsden-Binks added: "We need more visitors the numbers are too small to pay for the lighting and the dehumidifiers."

He has retired as curator and will be passing on the day-to-day management to someone else to concentrate on researching the social history of the area.

Town council chairman Clive Wilce said: "It was part of the original plan for the museum to be situated at the Ockwell's building but a lottery bid for the museum part of the project was not approved.

"In my view, a High Street location is the museum's rightful place, it is a more attractive setting, with better parking with the town hall car park down the road. Planning permission would be a step in the right direction but we would still need to find funding. We would expect to see an increase in visitors if it went ahead."

Bhavani Vadde