The Novium
Encyclopedia
The Novium is the name for the new museum currently being constructed in Chichester
, West Sussex
, southern England
. The name comes from the roman name for the city "Noviomagus Reginorum
".
The museum, designed by the architect Keith Williams
, will have an area of 1,300 sq m which is approximately 2.4 times the size of the previous museum in Little London. The building will be divided into three floors each of which will contain a gallery for exhibition. It will also contain a research and learning room as well as a collection store for the social history collection. The museum is built directly over the top of the Chichester's Roman Bath House complex which will be on display in the ground floor gallery.
The collection is compiled of over 350,000 object that are made up of geological, archaeological and social historic artefacts. The social history and geological collections is made up of some 50,000 object which are to be housed within the new building, whilst the archaeological collection is to be housed in a purpose built store within the Discovery Centre located at Fishbourne Roman Palace
.
In 1851 interest in the museum was motivated by the Great Exhibition in London and the decision of the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland to hold their annual conference in Chichester. This led to a boom of local interest in local heritage and extensive excavations where carried out in the area.
The 1890s saw a dramatic decline in interest which led to the unfortunate decision to sell artefacts to support the museum. In 1914 the museum building was commandeered by the army and rumours of wanton destruction of the remaining exhibits. By 1924 there was little left of the museum and the collection had been completely sold.
During the 1930s, a wave of interest led to attempts to resurrect the museum however, the City Corporation showed little interest in funding the venture. Finally in 1936 a two-week exhibition was displayed in the Guildhall, Priory Park using artefacts that had been collected over the previous three years. This led to the Guildhall becoming a store for artefacts collected over the next 25 years. In 1961 another temporary exhibition was opened in the Assembly Rooms which inspired a local architect to purchase a disused Corn Mill which he offered to lease to the council for the specific purpose of opening a museum.
In 1962, the new museum opened its doors under the name of Chichester Museum with displays of 18th century local art and was formally opened in April 1964 by the Duchess of Albermarle. The collection has increased dramatically since its opening due to the extensive archaeological work that has been ongoing in the area. In 1974 the museum was renamed the Chichester District Museum to reflect its direct association with the District Council.
The most recent event in the museums history was the closure of the Little London Corn Mill in anticipation of the move into the museum's new premises and persona at The Novium.
along with a fragment of wall. Further archaeological excavation was undertaken in 1972 during the construction of the Post Office Building. At that time the site was scheduled to become a multi-storey car-park, the construction of which would have meant the complete destruction of all archaeological layers.
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The name comes from the roman name for the city "Noviomagus Reginorum
Noviomagus Reginorum
Noviomagus Reginorum was the Roman town which is today called Chichester, situated in the modern English county of West Sussex. Alternative versions of the name include Noviomagus Regnorum, Regnentium and Regentium..-Development:...
".
The museum, designed by the architect Keith Williams
Keith Williams
Keith Williams RIBA,MRIAI,FRSA is a British architect.-Education and career:Keith Williams studied architecture at Kingston and Greenwich Schools of Architecture before co-founding Pawson Williams Architects in 1987, and subsequently his own firm Keith Williams Architects in 2001.Whilst much of...
, will have an area of 1,300 sq m which is approximately 2.4 times the size of the previous museum in Little London. The building will be divided into three floors each of which will contain a gallery for exhibition. It will also contain a research and learning room as well as a collection store for the social history collection. The museum is built directly over the top of the Chichester's Roman Bath House complex which will be on display in the ground floor gallery.
The collection is compiled of over 350,000 object that are made up of geological, archaeological and social historic artefacts. The social history and geological collections is made up of some 50,000 object which are to be housed within the new building, whilst the archaeological collection is to be housed in a purpose built store within the Discovery Centre located at Fishbourne Roman Palace
Fishbourne Roman Palace
Fishbourne Roman Palace is in the village of Fishbourne in West Sussex. The large palace was built in the 1st century AD, around thirty years after the Roman conquest of Britain on the site of a Roman army supply base established at the Claudian invasion in 43 AD. The rectangular palace surrounded...
.
History of Chichester District Museum
In 1831, Dr John Forbes decided to form a Philosophical and Literary Society in Chichester and, as one of the objectives of this society, Chichester Museum was founded as a Natural History collection. The museum was initially located in the Royal West Sussex Hospital and the collection was formed for donations from the general public. The Museum was later relocated to 45 South Street after plans for a move to 7 North Pallant where abandoned due to financial difficulty.In 1851 interest in the museum was motivated by the Great Exhibition in London and the decision of the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland to hold their annual conference in Chichester. This led to a boom of local interest in local heritage and extensive excavations where carried out in the area.
The 1890s saw a dramatic decline in interest which led to the unfortunate decision to sell artefacts to support the museum. In 1914 the museum building was commandeered by the army and rumours of wanton destruction of the remaining exhibits. By 1924 there was little left of the museum and the collection had been completely sold.
During the 1930s, a wave of interest led to attempts to resurrect the museum however, the City Corporation showed little interest in funding the venture. Finally in 1936 a two-week exhibition was displayed in the Guildhall, Priory Park using artefacts that had been collected over the previous three years. This led to the Guildhall becoming a store for artefacts collected over the next 25 years. In 1961 another temporary exhibition was opened in the Assembly Rooms which inspired a local architect to purchase a disused Corn Mill which he offered to lease to the council for the specific purpose of opening a museum.
In 1962, the new museum opened its doors under the name of Chichester Museum with displays of 18th century local art and was formally opened in April 1964 by the Duchess of Albermarle. The collection has increased dramatically since its opening due to the extensive archaeological work that has been ongoing in the area. In 1974 the museum was renamed the Chichester District Museum to reflect its direct association with the District Council.
The most recent event in the museums history was the closure of the Little London Corn Mill in anticipation of the move into the museum's new premises and persona at The Novium.
History of the site
Evidence for the Roman baths was first identified in 1960 during works at the rear of Morant's Store, later the Army and Navy store. This first observation identified a section of black and white mosaicMosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
along with a fragment of wall. Further archaeological excavation was undertaken in 1972 during the construction of the Post Office Building. At that time the site was scheduled to become a multi-storey car-park, the construction of which would have meant the complete destruction of all archaeological layers.