THE sale of Melor Hall in Amesbury has been completed as the town council moves forward with plans to transform it into a heritage centre and museum.

Amesbury Town Council has bought the building for £285,000 and hopes to open it for visitors at Easter.

The former church hall will house exhibitions relating to Amesbury’s historic past and it is hoped it will attract more visitors to the town.

The neighbouring St Mary and St Melor Church put the hall up for sale when a new one opened last year and the town council decided to buy it at an average cost of £7.80 to each household, which will be added to council tax bills.

An Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust is being set up to oversee the contents of the visitor centre and market it as a tourist attraction.

The museum will open in the existing building but it is hoped that a purpose built visitor centre can eventually be constructed on the site funded by developer Bloor Homes, if it gets permission to build its new Kings Gate development near Archer’s Gate.

In a recent poll a museum was identified as a priority for Amesbury which is trying to rebrand itself as a visitor destination.

Archaeologists have discovered that people were living in Amesbury during the Mesolithic era, making it one of the oldest permanent settlements in the country.

“We have history that nowhere else has and this museum needs to show off what makes Amesbury unique,” said town councillor Fred Westmoreland.

“It will tell the story of Amesbury and the surrounding area.”

At Easter some of the archaeologists working on a dig at nearby Vespasians Camp will be at a special exhibition in Melor Hall where they will be show off some of their finds and talk to visitors.

Later in the year more permanent displays will move in, including information about Amesbury’s royal connections, and a team of volunteers is being recruited to act as guides and curators.

“This is the first step in bringing a museum to historic Amesbury,” said mayor Andy Rhind-Tutt.

“There is a lot of work to be done but this site is a great start.”

It is hoped that some of the one million people who visit Stonehenge every year can be encouraged to stop in Amesbury, find out about its past and spend their money in the town’s shops and restaurants.

The exhibition centre will also offer information about visiting the church, aviation collection in the George Hotel and other local places of interest.

In the meantime Melor Hall will remain available for hire by individuals and community groups to help cover the running costs.