The National Maritime Museum in Cornwall plans to close to fix the leak

An attraction that houses an extensive collection of boats will close for six weeks next year while repairs take place to fix leaks in the building’s roof.

The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth has been suffering from leaks for “many years,” according to a spokesman.

They added that previous attempts had been made to repair the roof but no permanent solution had been found and the leaks had recurred.

The latest solution is a “more radical approach” and involves “completely replacing the roof system and increasing overall drainage by providing additional drainage drains and weather protection”, the spokesman said.

Richard Doughty, director of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, said: “There have been too many times when you could find more buckets than boats to collect rainwater in our building.”

“It’s finally time to banish the buckets and create a better environment for our visitors, staff and collections.”

The attraction’s spokesman said a £499,000 grant from the Arts Council’s Museum Estate and Development Fund had enabled the work to take place.

The museum houses the National Small Boat Collection and 15 galleries to “enrich our understanding of the sea and Cornwall”.

The closure will begin on January 6th and the museum is expected to reopen on February 15th.