A national dairy museum is to be established at College Farm in Finchley.

Archives and historical items owned by the Express Dairy and the Dairy Council scattered across the country will be heading to the farm once the property has been bought by the College Farm Trust.

The trust has spent years wrangling with the Highways Agency, which owns the land, and the Charity Commission over the purchase. In 2000, the Government said the trustees could buy the farm with a £900,000 discount, and now the trustees are in the final stages of negotiations with the Heritage Lottery Fund in their bid for the remaining £500,000 to buy the freehold. Chairman Bernard Russell hopes the trust will own the land within the next three months.

"Things are moving splendidly," he said. "We're in the middle of our bid with the Heritage Lottery Fund, which I do believe is being smiled upon.

"This museum has really caused a flutter with the Heritage Lottery Fund because English Heritage is very much in favour of it. One of the buildings [at the farm], when they're refurbished, will be converted into a museum to house the exhibits of the Dairy Council and the Express Dairy."

The trust wants a further £1.9million from the Heritage Lottery Fund to refurbish the farm including the at risk' listed buildings and turn it into a community and education facility.