BBC Countryfile presenter Tom Heap will be in Selborne tomorrow to re-open officially Gilbert White’s House (The Wakes) museum after a £3m renovation.

The ceremony will take place at 11.30am and will feature African dancing from the Lions of Zululand.

Housing the Gilbert White and Oates Collections, The Wakes is an independent museum and gardens that celebrates the lives of three explorers of the natural world – Gilbert White, the 18th Century’s answer to David Attenborough, whose Natural History of Selborne is reportedly the fourth most published book in the English Language; Frank Oates, a Victorian explorer and naturalist whose travels in Africa are celebrated in a newly-updated gallery; and Lawrence Oates, who travelled with Captain Scott to the South Pole in 1912, and whose last words ‘I am just going outside and may be some time’ are famous.

The renovation, part-funded by Heritage Lottery funding, aims to inspire visitors to explore and understand the natural world through the stories of these fascinating individuals.

The site will be open from 10.30am, with the official opening ceremony at 11.30am in the presence of Nigel Atkinson, the Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, in the newly-restored, 18th Century stable yard.

There will be speeches by a representative of the museum trustee board and Helen Jackson, from Heritage Lottery Fund. Mr Heap will cut the ribbon to formally re-open the museum. This will be followed by a display by the Lions of Zululand, who will perform throughout the day.

The event will take the form of a family open day with free admission to the museum and gardens, to include fun nature-inspired activities. The museum closes at 5pm.