Westmorland and Furness Council’s Dock Museum will celebrate its 30th birthday, and recent refurbishment, with a special weekend.

The museum, in Barrow, will host two days of events at the end of September to mark the milestone and to officially reopen the Shipyard Gallery, which has undergone its first major refurbishment in more than 20 years.

The gallery will be officially opened by His Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant for Cumbria, Commander Philip Burns MBE, at a private event on Friday, September 27.

Family-friendly celebrations and events at the Dock Museum will take place for the public on Saturday, September 28, and Sunday, September 29.

The weekend's programme will include children’s workshops offering the opportunity to build a periscope, construct a hovercraft, make a boat, and have a go at printmaking.

The Shipyard Town Project has helped to create new staff posts, build a research pod, install solar panels and now - the culmination of the project - refurbish the Shipyard Gallery.

The project was funded by National Lottery players with a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional funding from Westmorland and Furness Council, BAE Systems Maritime, Furness Maritime Trust, and the Sir John Fisher Foundation.

Councillor Virginia Taylor, Westmorland and Furness Council cabinet member for sustainable communities and localities, said: "Barrow-in-Furness is rightly proud of the shipbuilding heritage which has shaped our past and will play an important role in our future.

"Now the Shipyard Town project is complete, we have more exciting exhibits to showcase and share our long and important history with visitors, both local and from further afield.

"The Dock Museum is already a much-loved attraction, so whether you’ve never visited before or visited many times, I encourage everyone to come along and see what’s new.

"We look forward to welcoming you all, sharing this milestone with you and celebrating Brilliant Barrow together!"

Anyone can come along to explore the new gallery, watch performances in the amphitheatre, and visit the museum grounds for free during the Shipyard Town launch weekend on September 28 and September 29.

Tickets for the children’s workshops running as part of the celebrations on the middle floor are £1, and require booking due to limited numbers.

More information and tickets are available from The Forum website or by calling 01229 820000.