The refurbishment of Sandwich Guildhall Museum starts shortly and should be done in time for next month’s reopening.

It comes after months of planning, supported by a £100,000 cash boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

It is to create a display of the recently rediscovered edition of the Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest and follows a Mercury-backed appeal to bring the document back to town after it was found in archives at Kent County Council’s Maidstone base.

The cash was received by the Sandwich Toll Bridge Fund and was awarded to the project named: Sandwich History – Refreshed, Revised, Revisited – From Magna Carta to the 21st Century.

The interior will be redecorated and reconfigured, and new display cases, a reception area and audio visual equipment will be installed.

Some of the former fixtures and fittings have found a new home at the town’s White Mill Rural Heritage Centre.

The museum reopens in early May and will show artefacts illustrating the history of the town that have never been seen by the public before.

Sandwich mayor Paul Graeme said: “The town and Cinque Port of Sandwich deserves a world class museum so that our important place in history can be more widely known.

"The museum will be a valuable asset and I congratulate the team of volunteers who are making this happen.”

More volunteers are wanted.

Curator Linda Elliott can be contacted on archivist@sandwichtowncouncil.gov.uk