THE trustees of the Merchant's House in Marlborough High Street are appealing for the support of the local community as they prepare to launch a massive £400,000 fundraising campaign.

The board hopes to create a centre of national historic importance but still make the shop in the High Street, owned by the town council and leased to the trust at a peppercorn rent, a source of pride for the town.

Chairman of trustees, Sir John Sykes, unveiled the new plans for the Merchant's House at a recent garden party at Wexford Manor.

It will cost £35,000 to remodel the gardens to designs by local garden designer Jeffrey Galvin-Wright, £37,000 to finish and furnish the room over the kitchen, £63,000 to renovate the kitchen itself, £60,000 to bring the servants' rooms on the top floor back to perfect 17th century condition and £35,000 to create a second staircase so that visitors can complete a circular tour of the house without retracing their steps.

Another £150,000 must be spent on bringing the computer technology at the house up to scratch and cover other essential administrative expenses.

Sir John said that costs might well rise over the five-year period of the scheme.

He told the Gazette: "Much of the money will be spent on finding genuine 17th century furnishings to put in the rooms. We are very much at the mercy of the prices being bid in salerooms when these items come on the market and, unfortunately, the market is very strong on oak furniture of this period at the moment."

The trustees are keen that the museum project is not seen as an elite initiative to attract tourists to the town, but as a community project, reflecting the trust's motto, "local resource, national treasure".

Sir John said: "What I love about the Merchant's House is the enthusiasm that envelops you when you walk in the door. We have a rota of 60 volunteers from all walks of life who regularly help out in the shop and in the rest of the house."

But the trust has pledged that the £400,000 bill will not be met by the local community. They are keen to attract support from charitable trusts and corporate sponsors.

Sir John said: "We have had quite a lot of support from English Heritage already and it is unlikely we could go to them again. A lot of Government money will be going into the Olympics in the next seven years.

"But we are hoping that companies with a local base will want to become involved with a community project like this."

Concerts and other events will be organised to raise money for the project and Sir John and his colleagues are already talking to two local companies who registered their interest at the garden party.

The Merchant's House project, which has been running for 14 years, is aimed at recreating the home of Marlborough merchant Thomas Bayly and his family as it existed in the 1650s, shortly after it was rebuilt following its destruction during the Great Fire of Marlborough in 1653.

Bayly was a member of the merchant class which had been growing in power and influence in the previous century or so.

The house is particularly noted for its wall paintings, which are thought to have been done by local tradesmen, which feature decorations reminiscent of the silks Bayly would have traded and "trompe l'oeil" balustrades on the main staircase.

The fundraising campaign is due to be launched in September.