Yorkshire Museum York

Yorkshire Museum

Yorkshire Museum: A Little Bit Of Everything

The Yorkshire Museum in Museum Gardens in York has a little bit of almost everything.

There are exhibits ranging from the Jurassic period through Roman and Viking York, the Medieval city as the "Capital of the North" to the present day.

Yorkshire Museum, York, England, UK. — Yorkshire Museum

Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business. — Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business

The ruins of St. Mary's Abbey, York, England, UK — The ruins of St. Mary's Abbey in Museum Gardens, York, England

History

Located in the Yorkshire Museum Gardens, the former grounds of the now ruined St. Mary's Abbey, the museum is housed in a grand 19th building, a Grade I listed structure.

The museum was founded way back in 1830 as a home for the collections of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, thus making it one of the oldest museums in the country.

The now Grade I listed building was designed in a neoclassical style by architect William Wilkins (1778-1839), who was also responsible for the National Gallery and University College London (UCL) in London.

Statue of Mars on display. — The Statue of Mars on display

Exhibits

The museum's permanent collections are divided into several themes: Yorkshire's Jurassic World, After the Ice: Yorkshire's Prehistoric People; Roman York: Meet the People of the Empire; William Smith: The Map That Changed The World and Medieval York: Capital of the North.

The museum occupies three floors: the basement, ground floor and first floor. Some highlights, not to be missed, include the Middleham Jewel in the basement, an outstanding example of Medieval craftsmanship found at Middleham Castle, the boyhood home of Richard III, the life-size Roman statue of Mars on the ground floor and the first complete geological map of Britain by William "Strata" Smith, completed in 1815. The Middlesbrough Meteorite came to Earth in 1881 and is an incredible 4.5 billion years old. This is also on display on the ground floor.

There are large collections of fossils, rocks and minerals, flora and fauna, stone inscriptions and memorials from the Roman period in Britain (York, known as Eboracum, was the base of the ill-fated IX Legion Hispana which may or may not have been annihilated in Scotland).

The Roman era exhibitions are particularly impressive and comprise glassware, coins, a mosaic floor and an extensive collection of pottery.

The York Helmet is another outstanding exhibit. It is one of only three complete examples of an Anglo-Saxon helmet found thus far in England. It is made from an iron and copper alloy dating from the 8th century. It was restored at the British Museum before going on display in York.

Wall panels, photographs and VR displays help to present the exhibits in both a fun and educational way. As a result the museum is a big hit with local schools.

Middlesbrough Meteorite. — Middlesbrough Meteorite

Museum Gardens

The Museum Gardens contain the impressive ruins of St. Mary's Abbey and several other places of interest.

The octagonal York Observatory is part of the museum and dates from the 1830's. It has a rotating roof, an incredible achievement for its time.

Also in the gardens are part of the walls of the fortress of Eboracum, built by the Romans. The Multangular Tower formed the north west corner of the fortress and dates from 300 AD.

The gardens cover 10 acres with views of the River Ouse. They are a venue for various activities including open-air theatre and musical performances.

Part of the walls of the Roman Fortress. — Part of the walls of the Roman Fortress

Memorial to Lucius Duccius Rufinus, a standard bearer of the Ninth, Yorkshire Museum, York. — Memorial to Lucius Duccius Rufinus, a standard bearer of the Ninth Legion Hispana, Yorkshire Museum, York

Information & Hours

Yorkshire Museum
York Museum Gardens
York YO1 7FR
01904 687 687
www: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk

Hours: daily from 10 am to 5 pm; closed: 25, 26 December and 1 January; early closing: 2.30 pm on 24 and 31 December.

The museum is close to the York Art Gallery and York Theatre Royal.

Roman mosaic floor, Yorkshire Museum. — Roman mosaic floor

Yorkshire Museum, York, UK. — Wall panels explain the history of Medieval Britain

Access - Getting to York

York Station, just outside the city walls, is York's main station with trains to Manchester Piccadilly, London King's Cross, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Durham, Inverness and Newcastle.

There are CrossCountry trains to Darlington, Durham, Newcastle Central, Berwick-on-Tweed, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Services south on CrossCountry include trains to Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Penzance, Reading and Southampton.

First TransPennine Express has services to Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street as well as Scarborough, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle Central.

Northern Rail has rail connections to Knaresborough, Harrogate and Leeds, Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool North Selby and Hull Paragon as well as infrequent trains to Sheffield.

Long distance National Express buses run nationwide from the bus station in Rougier Street, a short walk north of York Station.