The Old Magnus Buildings date from 1529 and are a complex collection of Grade II* listed buildings, that housed the former Thomas Magnus School. Plans include making urgent repairs to these buildings and bringing them back into public use.

The museum will become a destination attraction as a National Civil War Centre. The creation of a National Civil War Centre and a new museum provides an opportunity to engage and inspire local people, as well as attract a growing tourist audience.

The new museum will become a centre of learning about the English Civil Wars of the 17th Century, examining the social, military and parliamentary aspects of the Wars under one roof. It will showcase the highlights of its collections and be a place where the community can come together to tell its own stories and research its own past.