Inside Joule's Brewery's latest pioneering project to rehome Market Drayton museum and 'transform town'

The plans involved a complete refurbishment and a new two-storey building for private bookings, live music, civic occasions and town events.

The company hoped £1m plans would "transform" the market town and boost visitor numbers.

Part of the new building has been offered up to the town's civic society for the relocation of the museum it owns and runs, currently based on Shropshire Street.

Carole Higgins, chair of Drayton Civic Society, said the group's current home was "a very small space" but was crammed full of interesting stuff to showcase the history and heritage of the town.

She added: "Now we have the opportunity to have this wonderful space thanks to Joules."

The move isn't yet a sure thing - the society has been offered the space free of charge by the brewery but will need to raise funds to fit out the new 200 square metres of exhibition space.

Nevertheless, on Thursday, an excitable group of members, volunteers and townsfolk were invited along to see how work was progressing on what they hope will be their new home.

After the tour, Carole said: "It's so smart, it's a lot bigger than what we've got and will be designed especially for us to have all the things that we need that we don't have at the moment."

"It's absolutely fantastic," added Market Drayton mayor, Roy Aldcroft. "It'll make a really great square of interesting things - with the brewery, the pub, the function area and the museum all in one spot. We'll end up renaming the street as Joule's corner!"

A spokesperson for Joules Brewery said: "We’re immensely proud to collaborate with the civic society on this venture and envision a long-lasting partnership. 

"As part of our commitment, we intend to construct the space and offer it to the society free of charge. In turn, the society will spearhead fundraising efforts to outfit the space, ensuring it’s ready to house their remarkable collection.

"We’ve had some fantastic collaborations with different charities and organizations in the past. For instance, at our sister site in Stone, Crown Wharf, we teamed up with the Stone Town Council to bring the Old Fire Station back to life as a Heritage Centre.

"Plus, we helped kickstart the local Theatre Trust, Crown Wharf Theatre. These partnerships mean a lot to us, and we’re always excited about working together to make a positive impact in our communities.

"We’re excited about the possibilities this collaboration holds for our community and look forward to seeing this vision come to life."