Jennifer Mulcahey

THERE'S a lot more to a museum than meets the eye - and you have the chance to take a sneak peak behind the scenes.

Bridport Museum, which underwent a £1.3million revamp earlier in the year, has launched a behind-the-scenes tour of the new building.

The new-look museum is proving a bit hit amongst history-lovers, with visitor numbers more than doubling since the redevelopment.

Local groups now have the opportunity to visit the museum for a bespoke guided tour and introduction on how the redevelopment was achieved.

More than 30 members of the Bridport U3A recently took up this opportunity, with one member saying: "We had a wonderful morning at the museum. It was fascinating to find out how our local museum was created- there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye."

The South Street museum closed earlier this year for the revamp to take place and reopened with new interactive exhibits, including an Ackerman netting loom which has been restored to full working glory and a working rope walk. The building has a new lift and gift shop.

Funding for the five year project was secured from the HLF, as well as grants from other bodies including Bridport Town Council and West Dorset District Council. Money for the project was also raised through a successful crowdfunding appeal.

The museum has received some outstanding reviews since it reopened, with much positive feedback about the transformation made to the Grade II listed building.

New opportunities at the museum include a 45-minute presentation about the project in the town hall, a guided tour of the museum and an introduction to the local history centre.

For a limited time, there is no charge for the museum and local history centre tours but there is a suggested donation of £3 per person.

The town hall presentation costs £5 per person.

The curator can also visit your group to give the talk.

For more information, contact curator Emily Hicks on 01308 458703 or curator@bridportmuseum.co.uk