It's only a matter of days until Shire Hall opens its doors to the public...

Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum has been four years in the creation and it's only a matter of days until the doors open to the public.

The renovation of the building was made possible thanks to a £1.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which was match funded by West Dorset District Council.

This week the district council handed over the keys to the Shire Hall team.

The museum is a registered charity, run by the Shire Hall Trust. This step marks an important stage from the two organisations working together as redevelopment partners to the Shire Hall Trust taking on the tenancy of the building.

Director at Shire Hall, Anna Bright, said: “We are really excited to open and run this wonderful museum. We would like to thank West Dorset District Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund for their support in the redevelopment. We are delighted now to take on this beautiful building and open it up for everyone to enjoy.”

West Dorset District Councillor Mary Penfold has been involved with Shire Hall for a number of years. She said the building was an important part of Dorset’s history.

She added: “I’m absolutely thrilled we have reached this stage of almost opening, it looks absolutely fantastic. Everyone has been working together, Shire Hall Trust, the District Council and Greendale Construction, it’s just been amazing.”

The new museum will use interactive technology to take visitors of all ages on a journey from cells to dock – walking in the footsteps of the people whose lives were changed, or even ended, by their experiences at Shire Hall. Each visit will be different as there are different stories to follow. The museum has been designed to be accessible to all and features innovative lifts and guides for visitors.

Visitors will be able to get a look behind the scenes before the museum opens, as the new-look website has now gone live at shirehalldorset.org

The museum will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, May 1.