Champney Treasure House, the newly renovated cultural venue in Beverley, has opened its doors to the public after work completed on a major programme of improvements.
Champney Treasure House has been renamed in honour of John Edward Champney, a local businessman who in the early 20th century made several significant donations to the original Beverley Public Library and Art Gallery.
The £3.3 million renovation programme by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and completed by Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction company, Hobson & Porter, has seen significant improvements made to the much-loved museum, archives, café area, tower viewing point, gardens and art gallery.
Several other services have also relocated to Champney Treasure House such as the Changing Places facility, The Tourist Information Centre (TIC), The Register Office and Beverley’s Customer Service Centre.
The library has been significantly enhanced and will feature a fully immersive sensory room and ‘Library Now’ technology which enables visitors to experience a self-service system outside of core opening hours.
The sensory room will be used by library reminiscence groups, amongst others, for captivating story telling in which the listener will be fully immersed into the story through light and sound. The room can also be used as a calm, quiet space for customers with sensory requirements.
Champney Treasure House will also open the Champney Room, a multi-use activity space, and wedding parties will be able to make the most of photo opportunities in the newly landscaped Champney Gardens, which are also open to the public to enjoy.
The walls of Beverley Art Gallery have been painted, creating a backdrop for visitors to view the gallery collection and its upcoming new exhibitions. Major improvements have also been made to the museum including a refreshed area with interactive displays and activities for children with many new exhibitions coming up.
Councillor Nick Coultish, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said: “The opening of Champney Treasure House marks a significant milestone for our community. We are incredibly proud to open this new cultural venue, a space which houses many essential services whilst becoming a destination where people can come together, explore, learn and celebrate.
“We look forward to seeing Champney Treasure House become a vibrant venue for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.”
Councillor Nigel Wilkinson, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s cabinet member for finance and governance, said: “This space will offer a variety of services to our community which will be both useful and enjoyable.
“The renovation of Champney Treasure House is a testament to our commitment to fostering a vibrant, diverse, and supportive environment for all residents which ensures best value for money. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on our community.”
Joe Booth, business development director from Hobson & Porter, said: “This has been a superb project to work on that has seen an extensive programme of improvements completed across both the historic Grade II listed parts of the building, as well as the newer contemporary extensions that were added in more recent years.
“Now that work is complete, there’s no doubt Champney Treasure House will become a hugely valuable cultural and community asset for Beverley once again, and we’re very proud to have played a key role in its evolution for future generations to enjoy.”
