Bath Fashion Museum Secures £768,000 Boost to Reopen in 2030

The iconic Bath Fashion Museum, home to one of the world's most significant fashion collections, is one step closer to reopening-thanks to a £768,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The funding marks a turning point in plans to relaunch the museum by 2030 in a new location: Bath's former post office on New Bond Street, a Grade II listed building.

The museum closed in 2022 after nearly 60 years when the National Trust reclaimed the Assembly Rooms. Since then, its impressive collection of over 100,000 fashion items, spanning four centuries from 1600 to today, has been carefully stored at a specialist glove factory in Wiltshire-costing the council £150,000 annually due to the need for specific climate conditions.

This initial funding supports the next phase of development as Bath and North East Somerset Council prepares a full application for a £7.2 million grant in 2026 to complete the transformation. The project is a cornerstone of the council's broader regeneration of the Milsom Quarter, aimed at revitalising the city's centre and boosting its tourism economy.

"This is going to be a new, world-class institution in a UNESCO World Heritage City," said Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development. "There is huge excitement that, at long last, we will be able to display our unique and outstanding fashion collection in a location and setting that it fully deserves."

The reopening will not only bring the museum's physical collection back to public view but also make it globally accessible through a planned digital catalogue, allowing fashion enthusiasts, researchers, and students worldwide to engage with the collection online.

Stuart McLeod, of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, praised the vision: "Not only does this mean a Grade II listed building will be brought back to life, but also a globally significant collection will be accessible to everyone, both in person and digitally."

Despite a failed Levelling Up Fund bid in 2023, the museum's revival has gained momentum, ensuring that Bath's legacy in fashion and heritage will soon be experienced again by residents, tourists, and global audiences alike.