Repairs to Ceredigion Museum are expected to cost £350,000 more than originally budgeted after workers uncovered hidden damage beneath its historic roof.

Ceredigion County Council's financial monitoring report puts the estimated cost of the restoration at £1.7 million, up from an initial £1.35 million, an increase of around 26 per cent.

The Grade II-listed Coliseum building on Terrace Road, Aberystwyth, has been closed to museum visitors since May 2025 while extensive repairs and precautionary improvements take place.

According to the report, additional costs emerged when contractors removed the old roof and discovered problems with the condition of the century-old building.

Removing sections of plaster exposed historic water damage within the walls, while areas of stonework, steelwork and timber supports above high-level windows required repairs that had not been anticipated.

The council said the unexpected work also required additional temporary structural solutions, affecting the overall duration of the project.

A contingency fund included in the original budget has already been exhausted.

Council officers said they were exploring ways to cover the estimated £350,000 shortfall, including seeking external grant funding.

The figures were outlined in the council's first-quarter capital monitoring report for 2026/27, considered by cabinet in September and subsequently examined by councillors.

Last week, the council announced that replacement work on the Coliseum's roof had been completed using slate quarried in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

However, the museum itself remains closed, with no confirmed reopening date, at the time of writing.

The building was originally expected to reopen in spring 2026, but the restoration has taken longer than anticipated.

The Coliseum Coffee House, tourist information centre and museum shop remain open during the works.

The council's latest announcement celebrated the completion of the roof but did not provide an updated financial estimate for the wider restoration project.