Amesbury History Centre to reopen after four years

Monday, 21 August 2023 01:00

After exactly four years of waiting, Amesbury History Centre will finally reopen after being completely rebuilt in a brand-new building.

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd August, the History Centre will be open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 am – 4 pm.

The first phase of the reopening will be an exhibition called Her Amesbury Story, highlighting the lives of 25 women throughout history with links to Amesbury, including Queen Eleanor of Provence, who lived in Amesbury Abbey and is believed to have been buried here in 1291AD.

The new building includes a Tea Room providing light refreshments and features a Gift Shop showcasing books, artwork and small gifts from local authors, artists, and artisans.

Phase two, on which work has already started, will tell the whole story of Amesbury’s past and will be open to the public early next year.

Since Amesbury Town Council acquired Melor Hall in 2011, the goal was to have a History Centre that would showcase the importance of Amesbury, which has since been discovered to be the oldest continuous settlement in the United Kingdom.

The new building was built using S106 Funds, and a lease was signed back in May to the charity, Amesbury History Centre CIO.

A spokesperson for the charity said, "We aim to showcase all the new discoveries to a wider audience and attract tourists from Stonehenge to Amesbury town centre.

"We have been overwhelmed with the amount of public support so far and are looking forward to finally being open."

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