Restored workhouse map on show
A 150-YEAR-OLD map, discovered rolled up in the roof of the Ripon Workhouse Museum during a major refurbishment project, has been put on display after years of painstaking restoration work.
The 1851 Ordnance Survey Map covering the 40 parishes around Ripon, was used by staff at the workhouse to see if potential inmates were eligible to be housed at the building.
Richard Taylor, chair of Ripon Museum Trust, said: “When we discovered the map it was in a terrible state and you couldn’t really read it but we have had it professionally restored.
“We know from minutes of old meetings that the map was widely used – it is a fascinating insight into the past of the workhouse.”