A FOUR-year, £200,000 project to modernise and upgrade Lancashire’s Regimental Museum will be completed next week.

The museum, based at Fulwood Barracks in Preston, features important memorabilia detailing East Lancashire’s military history.

It will be formally re-opened by international rugby legend, and grandson of a hero of World War I, Bill Beaumont CBE DL.

Interest in Lancashire’s military history is currently at an all-time high because of the centenary of the First World War, and work was urgently needed to modernise the 90-year-old visitor attraction.

The work was made possible by grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent fund, civic grants and fund-raising by many supporters.

In total, the Museum preserves, interprets and displays the artefacts, memorabilia and records of a total of 120 separately-identifiable regular, reserve and volunteer units dating back over 300 years.

Mr Beaumont will ceremonially re-open the museum, which has remained open to the public during the refurbishment, in front of an audience of invited guests on Tuesday.

Lieutenant Colonel John Downham, chairman of the museum’s board of trustees, said: “This museum represents the historic infantry regiments of Central Lancashire – in particular the East Lancashire, South Lancashire, and Loyal North Lancashire Regiments in which the forebearers of so many of today’s Lancashire families fought the two World Wars.

“We needed to be better able to tell their story, in better settings which more appropriately honour their sacrifices.

“And we were particularly keen that Bill should conduct the re-opening for us as he personally illustrates the eternal link between our regiments and the people of Lancashire.”