A MASSIVE lottery windfall has secured the future of one of Southampton's best-known and most historically important landmarks.

The 500-year-old Tudor House in Bugle Street will undergo major structural repairs and refurbishment over the next three years in a £2.3m project to restore the building.

The cash has come from a lottery award of £1.598m and £590,000 from Southampton City Council.

The historic building has been on an "at risk" heritage register and closed in April last year while the council prepared a bid for the Heritage Lottery Fund. Fears had been expressed that the historic building would be closed permanently.

Now city bosses say the museum will reopen within the next three years.

City heritage chiefs say they will have to apply for a second lottery grant to open a so-called "interpretation" museum.

But they say the building will be open to the public in some form - even if their second lottery bid is unsuccessful.

City Council heritage conservation manager Kevin White said: "This means we now have sufficient money to carry out the repairs we need to do.

"The Heritage Lottery Fund insisted that we split our bid and are insisting that we put in a separate bid for the interpretation. But whatever happens, the council is determined to re-open it as a museum."

Heritage chiefs say a second lottery bid - which could be for almost £1m - will have to be put to the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to pay for the "interpretation" aspect of the museum. The exact nature of the fresh bid has yet to be worked out but could include putting a roof over King John's Palace.

The distinctive Tudor House building which dominates St Michael's Square was built in about 1492 but originally consisted of three buildings dating back to about 1150.

Work on restoring the building will start early next year after contracts have been signed and detailed plans have been drawn-up.

Tudor House itself is likely to be swathed in scaffolding for as long as two years. Throughout the period, a detailed survey will be carried out by the city council's archaeology team.

As well as structural repairs and new services, better disabled access, including a lift, will be installed.

During the repair programme, city heritage officers will also be working on the second phase bid which could include displays about the history of the building.

Head of the city council's archaeology team Dr Andy Russel said he was looking forward to surveying the building which would give a unique insight into the construction of the site.

He said: "There will be things that have fallen beneath the floorboards over the past 500 years. I am also hoping we could find some shoes hidden in chimney stacks."