Computer reconstruction of the 4th century Orpheus Mosaic. Courtesy Corinium Museum.

The first people to visit the Corinium Museum in Cirencester for two years walked through its doors on September 15 to see the result of a massive £5 million transformation.

"It’s just wonderful to be down here today," Collections Management Officer Judy Mills told the 24 Hour Museum.

"This is the real test of seeing people come in," she added, "it’s been great to see that everybody is enjoying it."

The museum makeover, funded by Cotswold District Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and donations through the Cotswold Museums Charitable Trust, has doubled its size, allowing many treasures to go on show for the first time.

Visitors can now trace the story of the Cotswolds from prehistory to the late 19th century, through a series of galleries packed with a wealth of precious artefacts.

Objects for handling, jigsaws and touch screen technology add to the new interactive feel of the museum. Courtesy Corinium Museum.

Yet, as Judy Mills explained, the emphasis is very much on interactivity and making the museum accessible to as many people as possible.

"Before," she said, "we were a fairly traditional museum and we wanted to make it more hands-on, so there’s something for everyone regardless of their age and the knowledge they come into the museum with."

From jigsaws and handling objects to touch screen terminals, this policy has seen a whole range of interactive equipment installed at the Corinium.

Amongst other computer-based gadgets, London software development company System Simulation Limited has created searchable databases that give access to the museum’s massive collection.

The first visitors explore the re-vamped museum on September 15. Courtesy Corinium Museum.

Using 17 inch touch-screens, researchers can sift through 3,000 archaeological records and objects, or get to know old Cirencester through hundreds of photographs of the town.

But, far from neglecting its physical collection, the Corinium has created a series of new galleries to show off a vast array of artefacts.

Cirencester's Roman heritage has pride of place over two floors. Once Roman Britain's second biggest town outside London, mosaics, tombstones, sculpture, reconstructions and artefacts bring everyday Roman Corinium to life.

A new Anglo-Saxon gallery has been created to house finds from the cemetery uncovered at Butler's Field, Lechlade, in 1985.

Including rare gold pendants, the gallery also features a forensically-reconstructed Anglo-Saxon man and child who were among the 219 bodies.

Forensic reconstruction of a Saxon princess, nicknamed Mrs Getty, because she was buried with over 500 grave goods. Courtesy Corinium Museum.

Lying at the centre of the new gallery is the much-publicised Mrs Getty. Believed to be a 6th Century Anglo-Saxon princess and so nicknamed because of the 500 treasures buried with her, Mrs Getty has been reconstructed by facial anthropologist Dr Caroline Wilkinson, of the BBC's Meet The Ancestors fame.

Complete with body, clothes and hair, Mrs Getty is laid out in her coffin with replicas of her grave goods, while the originals - around 1,500 years old - are on display in a secure case nearby.

As well as new galleries and exhibits, the museum also has a re-designed entrance and reception area, a new shop and a fully-equipped Lifelong Learning Centre for school use, talks, seminars, lectures and community functions.

"The expansion and refurbishment of the museum has been well worth the wait and tremendous effort," said Cotswold District Council's portfolio holder for IT and Culture, Cllr John Burgess.

"For the first time, it is accessible to everyone. I'm amazed by the change to the building and delighted that we have been able to treble the number of objects on show. The museum has always been the major tourist attraction in Cirencester with up to 60,000 visitors each year. I'm sure the transformation will help to make these figures even higher."