A new Archaeology Gallery is to be created at Maidstone Museum after Maidstone Museums’ Foundation (MMF) was successful in raising the final £100,000 of its latest project.
To be called ‘Lives in Our Landscape’ it will replace the existing gallery, which the Foundation said was in need of a revamp in its presentation, interpretation and themes.
In early 2022 Maidstone Borough Council undertook the project, costing a total of £600,000, contributing £390,000.
A further £110,000 in funds are being met by a contribution from local charity, the William and Edith Oldham Charity, and support from the Kent Archaeology Society.
In March 2022 the Foundation agreed to mount a campaign to raise £100,000 towards the total sum, in a campaign which was expected to last around two years.
The target figure has now been met, less than a year after the campaign began.
MMF said a “sizeable grant” from local charity Cobtree Charitable Trust, a gift from a local family and a Kent County Councillor using delegated funds, and financial support from friends, together with £5,000 from MMF reserves achieved the goal.
“Our grateful thanks go to all those who supported us, or opened doors to make this possible,” the Foundation said in a statement.
The current archaeology displays are the oldest in the Museum and were put in place at least 40 years ago.
The redevelopment is hoped to expand the amount of objects on display, and move from a chronological presentation to one which uses scientific research to explore a narrative of the people who used the objects.
