The long-awaited grand re-opening of Leicester’s Jewry Wall Museum has been announced after a series of delays. The museum closed to the public in 2017 after the former Vaughan College pulled out of the site, allowing new owners Leicester City Council to embark on a plan to turn the 1960s listed building into a new attraction.
It was designed to not only show off Leicester’s history, but also introduce Roman history to all ages, with the wall believed to be the largest piece of surviving non-military Roman history in the country. However, the road to reopening the museum has been a bumpy and delayed one.
The first setback came in 2019 after the local authority discovered the building would require more work to suitably revamp it than was initially planned with the original £7 million price tag shooting up to more than £11 million. The project was then forced to halt because of Covid-19, with further delays hitting the revamp when two contractors went bust.
READ MORE:Free Highcross event to celebrate Leicester’s Roman heritage
(Image: Leicester City Council)
At last, however, the wait is nearly over, with Leicester City Council saying the new Jewry Wall Museum will welcome its first visitors on Saturday, July 26. More than 100 Roman artefacts found in Leicester and the wider county will be on display.
Visitors will be welcomed by an immersive film taking them on a journey through the excavated areas of Roman Leicester. Interactive displays, games and projections will allow visitors to explore the 2nd century site, transporting them back in time to experience everyday life in Leicester as it was around 2,000 years ago, Leicester City Council has said.
Ticket prices will start at £6.25 for children, with the full adult admission set at £12.50. Concession and family tickets will also be available, with the full price list available below.
The museum will also boast a café, open to the public without the need to buy a ticket, where people can look out on the remains of the Roman bath house.
A ‘botched’ project
The announcement of the opening date comes as the city council faces backlash from opposition councillors over its decision to make cuts to a number of other historic sites in Leicester. Opposition groups are demanding the council suspend plans to shake-up its museums services, a move which will see Belgrave Hall close to the public, and opening hours cut at Abbey Pumping Station and the Newarke Houses Museum.
They are also calling on the authority to cancel a proposed shake-up library services, with the authority considering shutting two buildings, while a further 11 could be transferred to community groups which would run them. Reductions in staff and opening hours are also on the cards for some libraries, with the cash-strapped council currently consulting on the proposals which it says would save £2.1 million a year. The authority says it needs to save £23 million this year to allow it to balance its books – something it is legally bound to do.
A special meeting of the council is to be held next week to debate these matters at the request of opposition groups. They have branded the Jewry Wall redevelopment a “botched” project which has ultimately cost the council £16 million.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “It’s fair to say that this project has faced more than its fair share of challenges, with a global pandemic and not one but two key contractors going out of business during the construction phase, so I’m delighted that we can now – finally – look forward to the opening of this brilliant new attraction for Leicester. Everything that will be on display in the new museum has been discovered right here in Leicester and Leicestershire, from the Blackfriars Mosaic that’s been described as one of the finest mosaics found in Roman Britain, to a beautifully crafted bronze key handle that depicts a man grappling with a lion, uncovered by archaeologists right next to Jewry Wall on Great Central Street in 2016.
“The opening of the new museum […] means that Leicester can finally shout about its Roman roots, offering visitors another must-see attraction in our historic city and making local people even more proud of Leicester’s extraordinary 2,000-year history.”
Ticket Prices
- Adults (16+): £12.50
- Concessions: £11.50
- Children (5-15): £6.25
- Family tickets: £32 (2 x adults + 2 x children)
- Official carers and children under 5: free of charge
Tickets allow visitors to visit the museum as many times as they like within a 12-year period, subject to conditions. A joint ticket is also available for those who wish to visit both the Jewry Wall Museum and the King Richard III Visitor Centre, with adult tickets for both attractions costing £23 and a family ticket priced at £62.
