THE new Wessex Gallery at Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum is starting to take shape.

The roof is on, the floor is laid and, on Monday the specialist display cabinets made by specialist Belgian firm Meyvaert were delivered.

Work started on the new gallery, which will tell the story of Salisbury and the surrounding area, in December.

The new gallery will be of international importance and exhibits will range from prehistoric times to the Norman Conquest, explaining why Salisbury and its nearby World Heritage Sites hold a unique place in British history.

The museum has some of northern Europe’s most important archaeological finds, including many from Stonehenge, and these treasures will finally go on display thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of nearly £2m.

The permanent collection includes the Pitt Rivers Wessex Collection and the Amesbury Archer, as well as many artefacts from Stonehenge. About 250 pieces have been loaned to the new visitor centre at Stonehenge as part of a partnership between the museum, Wiltshire Museum and English Heritage.

The Wessex Gallery will place the story of Stonehenge within its wider chronological and regional context, with a particular focus on the people of the past and the stories they tell.