TAVISTOCK Museum Charitable Trust this week announced that building works are shortly due to start on the refurbishment of the former librarian's cottage at Court Gate, and the restoration of a doorway link with the existing museum.

There will also be a new wider front doorway and repairs to the four front windows of the cottage building. When this work is completed the Tavistock Museum will be able to fully occupy the adjoining cottage building thus gaining some much-needed space for the display and storage of its many important collections.

Rod Martin, secretary of the Tavistock Museum Charitable Trust, said: 'This is the culmination of nearly four years of slow but steady progress made by the museum management committee towards preparing a scheme, obtaining the necessary listed building and planning approvals, and finally finding a funder.

'All of this has been achieved to date using the museum's own funds raised largely from visitor donations, sales of publications, film evenings, and individual sponsored activities.

'The Trust is grateful to all the many museum stewards and volunteers who have helped to raise this money.'

The building works are being funded by a European Union and Defra grant through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). The works are part of the Discover the Extraordinary Project, a three-year programme of investments across Cornwall and Devon developed by the Cornish Mining World Heritage site office to enhance the visitor experience in the World Heritage Site. The RDPE funding has been awarded through the Sustainable Rural Tourism scheme, managed by the South West RDA, which aims to assist the growth of environmentally sustainable tourism in rural areas.

The overall cost of the Stage 1 scheme including gaining approvals and preliminary studies is approximately £35,000.

Further stages of development to provide an interpretation room (Stage 2) and stewards' mess room (Stage 3) in the museum will be the subject of future funding applications.

Mr Martin said: 'This is not the only recent good news for the museum. It has also heard that it has been awarded 'Accreditation' status by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.'

And Mr Martin paid tribute to manager, Sue Davies and her team, for all the hard work they had done to achieve this special status.

'This award certifies that the museum meets satisfactory standards in all aspects of its many activities,' he said.

The former cottage building is leased to the Trust by Tavistock Town Council who will be the employer for the works. The conservation architects are Parkes Lees Architects Ltd, Launceston, and the building contractor is Ryearch, Plymouth.

The work is expected to take approximately two months and may involve, on occasions, some restrictions to parking in the Guildhall Square.