NORTHWICH Salt Museum is celebrating after the Heritage Lottery Fund announced a grant for £50,000 towards the installation of two new galleries.

The announcement has been made amid talk of the salt museum moving in the future to form part of a cultural centre at the disused Moore and Brock site near the town centre.

But curator Ruth McKew said the museum had been given an estimate of 10 years for a possible move and that funding was not available for the project yet.

She said: "We can't sit back and do nothing in that time or we would lose a lot of customers. We need to keep our audience."

The first new gallery, at the top of the stairs, will take visitors on a walk through Cheshire, from pre-historic times to the modern day.

Highlights will include the unique Roman auxiliary helmet, coins and other archaeological material as well as a scolds bridle and a May queen dress.

The second gallery will replace the small art gallery.

Called 'Made of Salt', the gallery will look at the many and strange uses of salt.

Displays will include some of the cruet sets from the collection and information on the local chemical industry.

The project will take just over six months to complete.

Ruth added: "We are delighted with the news.

"The grant will enable us to get more of the museum's collections out on display which will hopefully inspire visitors to find out more about the unique heritage of the area."

vkandel@guardiangrp.co.uk