Richmondshire Museum

Description

Enjoy a visit to the unique Richmondshire Museum – open seven days a week between Easter and the end of October and “a must” for both locals and visitors to the historic Georgian town of Richmond. Packed full of galleries and displays this local history museum has something for the whole family. New for 2013 is the fabulous HLF funded Discovery Centre which was opened by author, raconteur and former schools inspector Gervase Phinn. This new Centre is an all-round experience of the sights, sounds and smells of the Victorian Market in Richmond and is based upon the painting by the early 20th century artist William Sanderson depicting activities in Richmond Market place in the 1800s. This important painting is on display in the museum’s Wenham Gallery. Identifying ‘hidden’ historic objects, playing shop, dressing up in costumes of the day and seeing yourself arrive in Victorian Richmond by sedan chair are just some of the activities to be enjoyed in this new interactive gallery. Discovery Centre visitors includes school groups who have an opportunity to meet the characters on the street, and explore Victorian life ‘hands on’ and through the latest ICT provision. The Museum is able to extend this experience to other historic periods. Your visit can start in our reconstructed Cruck House. This building was originally sited in the village of Ravensworth, 5 miles north of Richmond. Built in the 15th century using the timber-framed construction form of crucks, beams made by splitting curved tree trunks, it was thought to have been the last known example to survive in the area. Plans to demolish the Cruck House in the 1970’s resulted in a stone-by-stone move to the museum. The building now houses a farm house display and exhibition of dairy and other implements. Moving into the Tyson Gallery, the Lead Mining display illustrates how that industry played a very important part in the history of Richmondshire from early times until the beginning of the twentieth century. Displayed in the Transport Gallery is an original Victorian penny farthing bicycle and one-hundred years of memorabilia from the Richmond Cyclists’ Meet, a must for cycling enthusiasts. Railway enthusiasts will be particularly impressed by our large and very detailed HO/OO scale model of Richmond railway station as it was in 1900 displayed along with a working model of a North Eastern Railway locomotive, and a further splendid model of the railway bridge crossing the River Swale at Easby. En-route to the Discovery Centre, our Victorian courtyard contains the Fenwick shop and a small country Ironmongers shop. Say “Fenwick’s” and most people think of the large department stores, but little is known of the business founder John James Fenwick who was born in Richmond in 1846 and started his working life and inspiration in his father’s small shop. Our exhibit recreates the Fenwick’s grocers and tallow chandlers shop in the mid 1830s. Next door is an ironmongers store which captures the atmosphere of these long gone ‘trading posts’ which supplied almost everything for kitchens through to farm yards and which disappeared with the advent of mass mobility. In the temporary Exhibition Gallery visitors can enjoy a rolling program of displays such as the current display which shows the development of the historic buildings in Richmond town. Next year our display calendar will include an exhibition designed to mark the 60th anniversary of Croft Autodrome, the well-known motor racing venue on the edge of Richmondshire. The next gallery contains two unique displays including part of the set used for the making of the “All Creatures Great & Small” film based on the books written by the veterinary surgeon James Herriot. The museum obtained the set when filming was complete and recreated the look and atmosphere of a 1940s veterinary surgery. The gallery contains farming and veterinary equipment dating back to an age when veterinary surgeons were few and far between and the cow or horse doctor and farmer had the responsibility of curing any animal ailments. The adjacent Barkers Chemist Shop exhibit, originally from nearby Catterick provides an insight to the popular potions and pills of the 1950s era. Richmondshire Museum has a large collection of children's toys and many of which are on display in a small dedicated gallery within the museum. This exhibit is always popular with the many children who come to visit us. The first floor Wenham Gallery is our largest gallery covering a vast time period from the prehistoric, through the Roman and early modern periods right up to the early twentieth century. The diversity of Richmondshire history is illustrated from a rare Bronze Age sickle to Victorian and early 20th century textiles. Found recently, the Brompton Seal Matrix (a stamp for making a wax seal) dates from about 1350 and depicts the martyrdom of St Thomas Becket. The Museum was successful in keeping this important item in Richmondshire with help from the Arts Fund and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Along with other Roman exhibits are two splendid Roman stone lion statues, discovered at nearby Catterick, the Roman town of Cataractonium. The Museum also holds other finds from excavations at this settlement and also from the British settlement at Stanwick near Aldbrough St John. Part of this gallery contains a lovingly reconstructed portrayal of a typical mid 1900s dales post office as Richmondshire museum was fortunate to acquire the interior fittings from Grinton Post Office closed many years ago. Opened in 1974, this nationally accredited Museum has an educational commitment at primary and secondary levels and also assists university students to gain museum experience. We hold a large collection of records and photographs relating to Richmondshire - accessible by arrangement for researchers including those interested in their family history. Visits to the Museum during our winter closed period from the end of October and by groups at other times can be arranged by contacting the Museum. Richmondshire Museum welcomes new Members and Volunteers. Our Members and Patrons help the Museum in its work. Apart from Richmond Town Council the Museum has no on-going financial support from any other outside agencies. Membership costs little and you need not get actively involved. By becoming a Member you can attend, and vote, at the Annual General Meeting. You will receive newsletters and may visit the Museum free at any time. Involvement in a variety of events which take place throughout the year is further benefit. The Museum is managed by volunteers. You can get involved as part of our active and friendly team. Most volunteers host the Museum to visitors to the Museum, answering queries and helping them to get the best from their tour of the galleries. This often leads to other ways to help, especially if you have particular skills or an interest in history, or in Richmond and its surroundi