Strong support has been thrown behind the idea of bringing a new heritage centre to Dereham.

The Dereham Heritage Trust has held a meeting to discuss the idea of bringing a history centre to the town.

The trust has been vocal about the need for a centre to store, catalogue and display historical artefacts and documents relating to Dereham’s past.

Dereham Times: Peter Wade-Martins with a model of the WF Chambers & Son of Dereham shop donated to the DHT Peter Wade-Martins with a model of the WF Chambers & Son of Dereham shop donated to the DHT (Image: Katie Goodman, Dereham Heritage Trust)

The town’s museum is currently based inside the Bishop Bonner’s Cottages, but the group says it can be damp and can only hold a limited number of displays, and the current archive centre in the Assembly Rooms is “overflowing".

The chairman of the trust, Dr Peter Wade-Martins, said: “Dereham has needed a heritage centre for decades.

"Having once been a thriving industrial market town, with thousands of people working in industry and retail, it is now important to capture the evidence of the town’s great historic heritage.

"Artefacts from companies such as Hobbies and Metamec, both long-standing organisations based in the town, could all be displayed and exhibited, along with stories from those who worked there."

Dereham Times: Attendees at the Heritage Centre meeting in DerehamAttendees at the Heritage Centre meeting in Dereham (Image: Katie Goodman, Dereham Heritage Trust)

To kick off a project to deliver the centre, the heritage trust hosted the meeting at Dereham Golf Club.

Phillip Duigan, a town and county councillor, Alison Webb, Breckland District Councillor, and MP George Freeman all voiced their support.

There is already a clear desire to see such a building open, as Richard Walker, an employee of Metamec Clocks from 1969 to 1990, had held an exhibition in Dereham Library and had collected over 400 signatures of people in favour of creating a heritage centre during his display.

Dereham Times: Richard Walker, formerly of Metamec, holding the petition of 400 names in favour of saving the town’s heritageRichard Walker, formerly of Metamec, holding the petition of 400 names in favour of saving the town’s heritage (Image: Richard Walker)

Dr Wade-Martins added: “People at the meeting showed their overwhelming support for setting up a heritage centre for the town. A voluntary group should be formed to take ideas and plans forward.”