WANTAGE museum could be closed within a year unless £200,000 can be found and a new two-storey extension built, staff have warned.

The Vale and Downland Museum, in Church Street, needs to build the £350,000 archive block.

Chairman of the museum’s trustees, Terry Fraser said it had a year to raise the cash and complete the project, in the grounds of the museum.

He said: “We are desperately looking for the money and time is running out. It is a really big challenge and it is definitely a worry. But these things are sent to try us.

“This is the wrong time to be doing it with grants being cut across the country but we are faced with having to do something or we will lose it.

“And there is nothing else for tourism in the town and therefore the economic benefit will be lost.”

He said they were leaving the cottage as the lease was due to expire. They were given three years notice 18 months ago.

The museum, which has 53,000 visitors a year, has two galleries, a shop and a cafe. It employs eight part-time staff and more than 50 volunteers.

Museum manager Craig Brown said it was important for a town to have a local history museum, particularly for school visits.

The team has raised £150,000 in nine months through legacies, but had hoped to have raised all the cash by the end of last year.