Designs for new police museum at Steelhouse Lane lock-up revealed
Designs for how a new police museum in the West Midlands could look have been revealed.
A West Midlands Police team is leading the project to turn the Victorian Lock-Up in Birmingham's Steelhouse Lane into a museum which will tell the stories of staff and prisoners.
The project has taken a leap forward this week after plans were drawn up to show the museum could look. Heritage Interpretation Consultants Campbell and Co. have designed how the building will operate as a museum of policing for the public.
Development funding has been awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help the force progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date.
The displays will tell stories of prisoners and staff, including the real 'Peaky Blinders' who were incarcerated in the building and how the original 'Lock-Up matrons' from 1895 formed some of the very first 'women in policing'.
There will also be space for the latest police messages and the museum team will use engagement opportunities to discuss current themes.
Inspector Steve Rise, who works on the West Midlands Police Heritage Project, said: "The designs show how the Lock-Up will be transformed into a story-telling space that keeps the unique qualities of the Victorian building.
"It’s exciting to see how the museum might work and the designers have set aside plenty of space for us to host school parties, groups and maybe even a themed wedding."
David Jamieson, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, added: "The museum at Steelhouse Lane will help West Midlands Police reach out to communities and show how the force has developed and changed over the years. These are exciting plans and I look forward to seeing them progress.
“A self-sustaining police museum will be a really worthwhile addition to the whole region, which is why I am supporting the project’s fundraising drive.”
The plan forms a crucial part of the second round of the National Lottery Heritage Fund bid, which if successful, will then help make the plans a reality. The bid will be submitted in August, with results due in November.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up for anyone who could donate to fund £150,000 worth of significant work required to the roof of the building, which wasn't factored into the original funding bid. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/covert-the-lockup.
To view the designs for the Lock-Up, visit www.wmpeelers.com.
