A popular museum has made the “difficult decision” to keep its doors closed until next year in order to protect its volunteers and visitors from coronavirus.

Eastern Daily Press: The Chas H Standley ironmongers and hardware store, a recreated 1930s shop at the Bridewell Museum at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYThe Chas H Standley ironmongers and hardware store, a recreated 1930s shop at the Bridewell Museum at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

The Wymondham Heritage Museum, based in the town’s historic Bridewell, has cancelled the rest of its 2020 season as the cost associated with making the building safe “proved prohibitive”.

Volunteers worked on bringing new displays for this year, with a replica of Victorian ironmongers Chas H Standley created and the existing Damgate Stores refurbished.

But their 2020 season lasted less than a month – it began on March 2 but they had to close later that month when the government announced lockdown, and now will not reopen for the rest of the season, due to run until October 31.

A spokesperson said the museum “hopes to have systems in place to open in 2021” and hopes it can begin early to “compensate for the loss of the 2020 season”.

Eastern Daily Press: The Chas H Standley ironmongers and hardware store, a recreated 1930s shop at the Bridewell Museum at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYThe Chas H Standley ironmongers and hardware store, a recreated 1930s shop at the Bridewell Museum at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)