A FREE to visit museum that claims to be the oldest in the UK has revealed what to expect ahead of it’s multi-million pound makeover.
The Royal Armouries – which is home to the national collection of arms and armour – in Leeds, has secured a government loan to purchase the land it stands on.
The Royal Armouries has received £11.6million in funding to help with redevelopment[/caption]
The director of the museum claims it is the oldest in the world[/caption]
According to the BBC, the director of the museum Nat Edwards said: “We pride ourselves on being the world’s oldest museum.
“We’ve been around since at least the early 14th Century, but for most of our history it was sitting in the Tower of London
“This is the first time in 702 years that we’ve owned our own home.”
The Royal Armouries moved from London to Leeds in the 1990s as part of a project to regenerate what was a “pretty grim, post industrial” part of the city.
The museum is publicly-owned and free to visit and includes items from around the world such as Henry VIII’s armour and James Bond’s Walther PPK.
Mr Edwards added that as well as securing a home for the different historical exhibits, the deal would also protect the museum’s future.
Part of the future plans for the site include the development of the tityard site – which is used for jousting matches and displays – into a multipurpose riverside arts, events and conference space.
The museum is also planning to refurbish its exhibition galleries, which includes adding digital technology.
Plans include immersive spaces to help improve educational experiences too.
Mr Edwards suggest that this space could see the recreation of a battlefield experience – bringing the history to life.
The museum hopes to add modern technology throughout the museum[/caption]
In addition, the wider site that the museum acquired around Leeds Dock is also been looked at for new housing developments.
Mr Edwards shared shared that the museum is keen to support wider housing development in the south side of Leeds, but thinks that the area around the Armouries is “such an important public space”.
The Royal Armouries also works with the Ministry of Defence to help new recruits into the army better understand the realities of war.
And the museum works with the Border Force, the police and various other intelligence services – some of which involves training AI systems to detect weapons in suitcases and working with the police to limit the effects of 3D printed weapons.
Mr Edwards shared that the key to the museum’s success was developing these partnerships and creating spaces and tools to tell the stories of human conflict.
The museum’s collection includes items which detail British colonial history in East Africa, for example.
Last year, one of the UK’s biggest free attractions revealed more plans for its massive £1billion revamp.
Plus, a Sun reporter headed to London’s newest immersive attraction designed for selfie-loving tourists.
There could also be immersive experiences that bring history to life[/caption]
