A MUSEUM that documents the illustrious history of The Green Howards is looking to the future as a complete overhaul of exhibitions and redevelopment of the former church it is housed in continues.

Military tradition dating back 300 years is recounted within the walls of the Trinity Church, Richmond, but the hundreds of artefacts, medals and paraphernalia have now been boxed up and put in secure storage while the building is made fit for 21st century visitors’ needs.

Lynda Powell, curator of the museum, said while the major refurbishment is ongoing within the museum, she is concentrating on new ideas to present the artefacts to make the visitor experience more interactive and engaging.

She said: “In the past the museum had been mainly for Green Howards – and as such it expected a certain level of knowledge held by visitors.

“When we re-open we want to present things with a lot more background information for visitors to give them a better context, but still have the detailed information for those who want to dig deeper.

“At the moment I am creating new displays, writing new information panels and selecting objects – we will have new interactive displays with touch screens, and maps so people can follow the route a battalion took.

“People that have come in the past will know it wasn’t very interactive, but now as much as possible we want people to be able to have a full sensory experience – it’s all well and good reading about soldiers going over the top of trenches, but it is difficult for people to get an impression of it.

“Some of our objects are really startling and if they are available for people to touch they will understand better.

“We are also going to look more at the history of Trinity Church, and try to be more sensitive of the building we live in.”

The Green Howards Museum is set to re-open in late summer to early autumn this year.