A MAJOR £600,000 refurbishment project designed to launch the Museum of Dartmoor Life into an exciting new era is due to start in September.

Curator Maurie Webber said final plans for the museum ? situated in the centre of Okehampton ? are now being prepared and will then go out to tender.

The work ? the result of securing substantial grants ? will take some nine months from start to completion.

This work will include the installation of a lift, a new lighting and heating system, state of the art gallery and new research department which will have a wide range of documents for people to research plus, hopefully, links into other archives.

?The reserve collection that people don?t see will also be put on public display,? said Mrs Webber.

?She said that the

exhibitions and displays will be shown in different ways.

Certain areas will be conceptual in presentation with, for example, the area showing items relating to the castle sited on a mediaeval floor.

?The important thing is to remember that we are keeping the ethos and character of the museum ? that has been the underlying concept from the beginning.?

The museum opened in 1981 and Mrs Webber took over as curator in 1997.

?It is a good product, and has become more acknowledged within the community as well as within the wider museum world.?

She said the current progress had come from the ?incredibly important? aid through partnership and networking which had proved fundamental in securing grants.

?Without that we could not do this major refurbishment. This is a significant step forward. All the other stages have been steps along the way to securing funding to have this major refurbishment.?

Mrs Webber said without this substantial cash injection the museum would have required some funding ?if only to stand still?.

She said the money is for the project only ? revenue had to come from people coming through the door and also from the shop. Fund raising and donations were also a big part of the museum.

?What is exciting is that we hope, having raised the funds after a lot of hard work to create more user friendly facilities, that we will attract more visitors.

?The primary aim of the trustees is to hold a collection in a state of preservation for now and for the future.?

She said the museum tried to strike the right balance between

Dartmoor and Okehampton because both are closely linked.

Mrs Webber said the museum was a social collection that reflects how people have lived and worked in the area.

?It was a much harsher life for people who lived on the moor in the past and even now it can be hard. The museum tries to reflect that way of life. But it is not just about 50 years ago ? we want to bring it up to the present time which is why some of the future exhibitions will reflect the way of life today.

?It can be a reminder of how the modern countryside is evolving ? and the problems it has had such as foot and mouth. We cannot afford to forget that.?

l The museum is currently seeking a treasurer to work on a voluntary basis. Anyone interested should contact Maurie Webber on 01837 52295.