Unlocking the potential of Stephenson Memorial Hall

The multi-million-pound refurbishment of Chesterfield’s theatre and museum, which will create a state-of-the-art cultural venue in the heart of the town centre, is progressing well – with some hidden gems being uncovered along the way.

These incredible stained glass windows in the theatre have been hidden behind layers of insulation and wood for many years but once the renovation is complete they will be a unique feature in the auditorium. We’ll be installing panelling on the outside of the building and adding backlighting so that these windows can once more be enjoyed between performances.

The top floor of the building is home to these magnificent spaces with incredibly high ceilings. We were using these as storage for some of the museum collection but once the building reopens this will be one of the new museum exhibition galleries. With a new lift taking visitors to every floor of the building, everyone will be able to learn about our town’s history.

Lots of visitors will be familiar with the old box office – but hidden behind the more modern fittings we’ve discovered these intricate Victorian tiles. These were an unexpected but very welcome discovery, and now that we’ve found them, we will be protecting them and trying to make sure they are a feature in the final design of the building.

You may recognise this area as our museum space on the ground floor, but it will become the new café bar area. We’ll be offering everything you expect in a modern visitor attraction, but we’ll be preserving the stained glass windows and wooden panelling whilst adding some display cases for museum objects so that you can soak up our heritage whilst you sip a latte or two.