Exclusive look into new museum of glass

The White House Cone Museum of Glass in Wordsley received the crucial funding to help keep the ambitious project on track.

The museum is being created at the former Stuart Crystal factory, near the famous Red House Glass Cone.

The interior shows the iconic building taking shape with a modern and fresh look.

The glass studio has props and materials inside and the first floor gallery has mock up display boxes and stands ready for pieces to be put in place.

The build has been made possible thanks to a £2.1 million cash injection from the European Development Fund and a £900,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Now a further £50,000 has been donated from the Garfield Weston Foundation, which will be vital in ensuring the project gets across the finishing line.

The money will help pay for a full internal fit-out of the museum. It is hoped it will be open next summer.

Trustees are still continuing to appeal for donations from the public towards the museum.

Graham Fisher, from the British Glass Foundation, said that the funds would make the build a lot easier.

He added: “This is big. It is something we applied for but still came as a surprise as there is a lot of people applying for it.

“We will be using the funds towards the fit-out and of course will make life a lot easier.

“It is a great relief.”

As well as completing the interior of the attraction, bosses also need to have it accredited as a museum, a key step if it is to host top artefacts.

Mr Fisher said: “We have to get full accreditation before we can call ourselves a museum and so we can borrow stuff off the British Museum.

“After that there is the small matter of running it.”

He added: “It is unbelievable to have got where we are. It’s very exciting.

“The fact we have got all this money gives them (funders) the confidence we are doing it properly. We’re over the moon.”

To help visit crowdfunder.co.uk/the-white-house-cone-museum-of-glass