Derby Museums reopened the Museum of Making this week after flooding forced its closure last October 2023.
The temporary closure was caused by severe rain from Storm Babet which led to water levels reaching 3.58m – the highest level since records began.
The museum has been working alongside insurers to repair the damage caused, including a professional deep clean of the entire ground floor, new and repaired equipment in the kitchen and workshops and upgrades to display furniture.
A representative for the museum told Advisor that most of the repair work has been completed, with the exception of some of its Workshop.
“The Workshop was one of the hardest hit areas of the museum and therefore is not currently operating at full capacity. A lot of the equipment here is heavy to move and costly as well as difficult to repair and replace. Our Workshop Manager and technician have been working to futureproof the workshop and will be back to our usual full programme of events and open to members as soon as possible.”
Despite the flooding, the museum said no objects from its collections have been damaged, chiefly due to the design of the building, which sees the majority of collections housed on upper floors and moveable displays on the ground floor.
A representative for the museum said the final bill for losses will be “a six-figure sum”, which will “mostly be covered” by its insurers.
“We are still working with insurers to establish what is covered by the claim, but it is likely that costs such as building repairs, repainting and decorating will not be covered.
An appeal launched last October by the museum saw over 300 donations amounting to over £13,500, which it said will support its recovery and enable it to mitigate some of the costs that are unrecoverable under its insurance policy.
The museum’s opening weekend saw at least 2,500 visitors back through its doors.
Tony Butler, Executive Director of Derby Museums said: “I am delighted that the Museum of Making is reopening, our team has worked hard to get back up and running as soon as possible. It has been heart-warming for our team to see just how much the museum means to the city and how much our community have missed us. I’d like to thank our fantastic supporters, both individuals and the local business community; for your support during this difficult time.”
