Question marks are hanging over the future of an abandoned Grade II listed building - but hopes remain that it could be transformed into a museum.

Built in the early 19th the Gravesend landmark of Custom House served for many years as a base for HM Customs and Excise Service, followed by HM Revenue Customs - which vacated the building earlier this year.

Since then speculation has mounted over the future of the building in The Terrace, but many hope it can be opened for public use.

With Gravesend currently only offering a “virtual museum” on the council’s website - and with many artefacts in storage - a museum seems a logical use.

“If the money could be found it would be an ideal place,” said Cllr Michael Wenban. “It’s close to the river, close to the Chantry.

“We’ve needed a museum. It’s been a theme for ages but it’s finding the money, and finding a home where you could have one.”

But with government funding for art and culture projects becoming harder to secure, buying and transforming Customs House would be no mean feat. Melanie Norris, director for communities at Gravesham Council said using Custom House was more of a pipe dream than a realistic prospect.

“Custom House is an aspiration amongst members but it’s not something we’re actively pursuing,” she said. “An aspiration would be to have a museum, but at the moment we haven’t had any instructions to pursue Custom House.

“It would be a nice idea to have a museum, but given all the government cutbacks , unless we get sponsorship or it could be self funding - which museums never are - at the moment it would be difficult. We would have to cut something else.”

She said artefacts currently being held by the council in storage include historical pictures of Gravesend, items related to Pocahontas, and Roman remains, while there were also items relating to maritime history. But she added: “We haven’t got any Picassos. It’s an aspiration of the present administration. We’ve been looking into grants but a lot of grants are stopping around museums.”

Custom House in Gravesend was one of many offices belonging to HMRC, which in November 2015 announced a ten-year transformation programme to create 13 new regional centres.

In March 2018, before Custom House closed, HMRC had around 10 employees working there, with the majority of staff transferring to either the HMRC office in Maidstone or Custom House in London.

Mapeley Estates, who now own the building, have been approached for a comment.