Plans for major revamp of city’s attractions unveiled

The York Museums Trust has unveiled an ambitious new multi million pound project to continue boosting visitor numbers in the historic city.

The trust, which was set up to promote York as a tourism destination, plans to push forward with a number of major developments, which will see the transformation of some of the city’s most treasured attractions.

In a progress report, which is set to go before the trust’s partners, York Council, the charity revealed the number of visitors to its four properties had risen by 21 per cent in the last year.

Now, it plans to entice more people to the city by revamping its portfolio, which includes Castle Museum, York Art Gallery, York St Mary’s and the Yorkshire Museum.

The first project at Castle Museum will see an extension of the Victorian street, Kirkgate.

The trust’s chief executive Janet Barnes said: “The highlight for most visitors to the Castle Museum is Kirkgate, the recreated Victorian street. We have refreshed this over the years, and we feel now is the time to extend the street, and introduce visitors to ‘real’ people who tell us more about life in the Victorian age.”

The second project will see the green and riverside areas behind the museum opened up, incorporating the medieval Castle, the River Foss and Raindale Mill.

“This will enable a walk way along the river, a flexible event space, an area promoting wildlife conservation, and the area next to the mill having a suitable century garden added. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see areas of York Castle that are currently out of bounds,” said Ms Barnes.

Costing over £2m, the third project, which the trust says is the most ambitious, will include the creation of new gallery spaces across the whole first floor of the Debtors Prison. Entitled ‘1914’, it will look at how life changed during the First World War.

Major plans to expand York Art Gallery have also been mooted and the trust hopes the project will cement its position as one of the top art galleries in the North.

Proposals include the creation of additional gallery spaces, which will be designed to attract major exhibitions, and the creation of new gardens at the back of the building, which will connect the site with St Mary’s Abbey.