Last week, Onley's Cowper & Newton Museum welcomed the Mayors of Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell and Olney, together with heritage and business partners to celebrate the completion of its National Lottery Heritage project.
A celebration to mark the completion was held in the museum and gardens.
Guests met the people who had worked on the project, watched its new film and explored the transformation for themselves.
The museum has spent £100,000 refurbishing its space to create a better experience for visitors. Volunteers contributed over 2000 hours of their time.
The Cowper & Newton Museum was founded in 1900, and has unequalled collections of furniture, manuscripts and pictures associated with the poet William Cowper and with slave ship captain turned evangelist John Newton.
Cowper lived in the house for twenty years, until the year 1786. His nearby neighbour in the vicarage was John Newton, the author of the world-famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’.
The National Heritage Lottery contributed £93,800, 84% of the total project cost.
Milton Keynes Council supported the project from the very beginning, with a most kind donation also from the Cowper and Newton Society.
The project was led by Paul Collins, Chairman of the Museum trustees, and by conservation expert Carla Markland.
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