Fresh blow for museum's reopening marred by delay

The reopening of a museum marred by repeated delays has been dealt another blow after storm damage to its listed building.

Cumberland Council has been renovating Christ Church in Maryport since 2023, with a view to relocating the town's maritime museum there.

The building was initially expected to open the following spring, but a change in contractor and several refurbishment delays meant a new provisional date of late 2025 was set.

However, damage to the building from a storm in December has halted the reopening once again and the Labour-led council said it was "cautious about confirming an opening date" while it assessed the damage.

"We are continuing to assess the situation and are in discussion with our insurers," a council spokesman said.

He said it would be "premature to speculate on any potential cost implications" before the authority agreed what work needed to be carried out.

Before the damage, the council said the installation of the historic exhibits had been "progressing well" but had to be paused due to fears of potential water damage.

It confirmed specialists conservation experts had been brought in to prevent this happening again.

The spokesman said: "[Working on old buildings] is never an exact science, we do not know what materials were used in the initial construction and we don't know how a building has been treated throughout its life.

"So, while it is frustrating that the restoration has proved complicated, we remain committed to getting it right."

The maritime museum had originally been located on a nearby building on Senhouse Street, which has now been renovated to host an art gallery.

It had temporarily relocated to premises on Curzon Street but had to make way for a new tenant in September 2024, with the exhibits going into storage.

The Grade II listed Christ Church is more than 150 years old and was famously painted by artist LS Lowry.

It also has links to Thomas Ismay, the founder of the White Star Line which launched the Titanic, who paid for its clock in 1879.

Before the council started work on the church, it had been shut for decades and left in a dilapidated state.

Its renovation is part of a £12m regeneration of the town which includes a skate park and cafe built on the promenade, a new play area and event space by the marina and the ongoing renovation of the former Carlton cinema into an arts venue.

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