A NEW-LOOK Corsham Tourist Information and Heritage Centre was officially unveiled yesterday.

The makeover included much needed disabled access as well as a complete refurbishment of the information and shop area.

The official reopening of the High Street facility was carried out by North Wiltshire district councillor Vivian Vines, who was joined by fellow councillor Christine Reid and members of staff and volunteers.

To coincide with the re-opening, a new exhibition telling the story of the restoration of a Bristol aircraft engine in the 1940s in Corsham was put on display.

The Centaurus engine is on permanent display at the Bristol Aero Collection at Kemble Airfield but the exhibition was loaned to Corsham after the Heritage Centre helped to provide historical background material.

The history of the engine shows it was built underground in secret facilities at Spring Quarry in Corsham.

Peter Tapscott, a director of the Corsham Area Development Trust, which runs the centre, said: "We have been loaned a hand drawn map of the underground workings, made about the time this engine was produced, marked 'top secret'.

"The mining engineer responsible for making the map was actually interviewed for the job, in total secrecy, in the very building that now houses the Information and Heritage Centre."