The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded initial support of £2m, including development funding of £161,200, to revitalise ‘The Long Shop’ and transform the site into a beacon of industrial heritage.
Museums and Heritage writes:
The Long Shop in Leiston was established in 1853 for the manufacture of portable steam engines and its assembly line area was called ‘The Long Shop’ on account of its length. It put into motion a process now used by industries across the globe, and the building is a hidden gem in the heart of East Suffolk, which has survived in its near original condition for 163 years.
Now, as part of a planned restoration project, fresh life will be breathed into the Victorian factory buildings as part of an overall project to showcase the museum’s unique collections, improve facilities and thereby attract new audiences and visitors from within and beyond the region.
Alongside vital repairs, the project will help provide an enhanced visitor experience with new activities: the creation of a reminiscence café; a community hub; and a Youth Shed where young people can gain basic engineering skills and find inspiration in the achievements of manufacturer Richard Garrett, his descendants and those who worked at the site.
New displays will feature the Museum’s own extensive collections – from sickles to steam engines – and draw on the Garrett Archive at Suffolk Record Office to explore the history of industry and science, tell the stories of the workers and reveal more about the lives of the Garrett family – including Elizabeth Garrett who became the first woman in Britain to qualify as a doctor.
‘Repairing, restoring and renewing the Long Shop will unlock its unrealised potential as a unique and brilliant place which continues to generate interest, understanding and pride in our industrial and engineering heritage amongst people of all ages and from all walks of life,’ said Anna Mercer, Curator at the Long Shop Museum, which was recently awarded the Family Friendly Museum of the Year’ at the Suffolk Museum of the Year Awards.
