The money will be used to pay for consultants to come up with a business plan for the museum’s future development.

Trustees Paul Hawes, John Waller and David Brown have signed a deal with Christina Brookes of Stuart Davies Associates who will carry out the research.

In 2004 the museum project had become so large that the trustees realised greater funding would be needed if it was to grow.

Early aplications for the much-needed funding were unsuccessful but after four years the team is celebrating the success.

“After some early setbacks the Burwell Museum Trust has secured Heritage Lottery Funding to assist us in plotting a viable future for the museum and one which will also ensure its long-term sustainability,” said John Waller, the treasurer of Burwell Museum Trust.

“We believe that the outcome will result in a much- improved heritage experience for all.”

The museum trust was formed in 1982 by villagers who shared a common interest in history.

Their aim was to set up a museum providing a glimpse of what life was like in the village on the edge of the Cambridgeshire fens.

The museum is open to the public on Sunday afternoons, Bank Holiday Monday afternoons and Thursday afternoons from Easter to to the end of October.