Malton Museum: Yorkshire museum plans move to new site and expansion to tell stories of Roman history, coaching age and the Fitzwilliam family

Malton Museum’s trustees have announced plans to move the town’s significant historical collections to a new building and create a larger visitor attraction.
Grace Newton
By Grace Newton
Published 25th Oct 2023, 10:46 BST
Updated 25th Oct 2023, 10:46 BST

The charity which runs the museum in the Milton Rooms has been awarded a £50,000 government grant for a feasibility study into a new home.

The museum was founded 90 years ago, but has never had a permanent base and is currently constrained by space restrictions.

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It has a nationally renowned collection of Roman items, as the town was the location of an important fort.

Malton Museum is currently located in the Milton RoomsMalton Museum is currently located in the Milton Rooms
Malton Museum is currently located in the Milton Rooms

A new building would also allow for exhibitions about Malton’s Georgian growth during the coaching age, and tell stories of the town’s long connections with the Fitzwilliam family, whose historic seat was at Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham, and who still own much of the town’s commercial heart.

Trustees hope that a new museum would complement the rest of Malton’s visitor offer, which includes its food festivals and the Woodhams Stone Collection in nearby Norton.

Chairman Phil Crabtree said: “We want to tell people more about Malton’s long and unique history, from the Roman times to the prosperity of the Georgian years and our longstanding relationships with the Fitzwilliam family and the horse racing industry.

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“We are keen to involve more local residents and businesses in the museum’s activities and make agreater contribution to Malton’s visitor economy. We also want to be able to display more of our fantastic collections and host more visits to the museum by school and community groups. At the moment we are unable to do any of this justice.”

Mary Rohan, one of the volunteers at the museum looking at the artefacts on display found during an excavations at Brooklyn House, Norton.Mary Rohan, one of the volunteers at the museum looking at the artefacts on display found during an excavations at Brooklyn House, Norton.
Mary Rohan, one of the volunteers at the museum looking at the artefacts on display found during an excavations at Brooklyn House, Norton.

Local MP Kevin Hollinrake added: “This funding is hugely welcome and incredibly well deserved. Malton Museum undertakes extensive outreach in our community to showcase the rich history of the area - it’s crucial that the nationally significant collection of artefacts are available for generations to come. I look forward to supporting

the museum on this exciting new journey”.

A public consultation on a potential new location for the museum and how it can best serve the town will run as part of the study, and anyone who wishes to contribute can contact [email protected].

Related topics:YorkshireKevin HollinrakeGeorgian