Planning permission granted for Somerset Shoemakers Museum

A museum detailing the history of the shoe brand Clarks has been granted planning permission.

Located in Street, Somerset, the Shoemakers Museum will sit within the grounds of the Grange, currently occupied by the Alfred Gillett Trust, the charity that preserves the heritage collections of C & J Clark Ltd. 

The Clark family founded their well-known British brand nearly 200 years ago. 

The museum will include a permanent gallery displaying the history of the company, as well as temporary display areas, an open-air events space, an education room and a library. It will also house a café and display Street’s famous Ichthyosaurs fossil.

It is being designed by architects and heritage consultants Purcell, who will ensure that the main building is preserved. Energy-efficient lighting and high-efficiency boilers will be installed, while the existing radiators will be serviced and retained.

A 1970s extension, 20th century boiler rooms and an ageing structure known as the Link Building will be removed to make way for the new two-storey museum structure.

The first phase of the museum is due to open in 2025.