Ipswich's landmark Christchurch Mansion will return to opening five days a week after the borough council was awarded more than £120,000 in funding.
Money from the newly launched Museum Renewal Fund, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will allow Christchurch Mansion to return to full opening hours, six months after they were cut.
Ipswich Borough Council said it was forced to cut the opening hours down to four days a week in April of this year due to "unprecedented" financial constraints.
The funding from the government, totalling £126,200, will see the full opening hours return from Thursday, October 30 with an additional £20,000 worth of funding coming from the Friends of the Ipswich Museums next year.
Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council’s portfolio holder for planning and museums, said: “I am very pleased that we are able to open Christchurch Mansion for five days a week from October 30 - thanks to the generous support of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Museum Renewal Fund, administered by Arts Council England, and the continued commitment of the Friends of the Ipswich Museums.
“Starting during the busy autumn half-term school holidays, it reinforces our dedication to keeping this beautiful, historic house freely accessible to all.
"With the upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations of John Constable, we look forward to welcoming even more visitors through the doors each week to experience the rich heritage, many events and exceptional exhibitions the mansion has to offer."
Richard Wilson, chairman of the Friends of the Ipswich Museums, said: “We are delighted to support the reopening of Christchurch Mansion to visitors on Thursdays of each week once again.
"This is a vital step in ensuring that Ipswich’s rich history and cultural heritage remains accessible to all. The Friends are proud to play a part in supporting and promoting this much-loved museum and its important exhibits and collections.”
Christchurch Mansion will host a series of exhibitions to mark the 250th anniversary of celebrated Suffolk artist John Constable.
Why were the opening hours cut?
Coming into force on April 4, the number of days the mansion was open to the public was slashed to four.
The change was made as part of a raft of cost-cutting measures from the borough council, with the local authority aiming to plug a £23million gap in its budget.
Mrs Jones had previously said: "Any days closed to the public can be utilised for private events where the income covers the additional cost of opening, including tours.
"The specific closed days are those where the footfall is currently lower.
"Thursdays and Fridays are more popular days for private events which could help increase income and therefore the sustainability of the service."
Speaking previously, Mr Wilson said cutting the opening days would suggest Ipswich was "closed for business" and make it harder to attract people to the town.
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