Richmondshire Museum

The Richmondshire Museum sits in the market town of Richmond in North Yorkshire. It began in 1978 inside a former joiner’s workshop after the local Soroptimists and the Dales founded the trust in 1974. Over the years the collections have grown steadily. A reconstructed cruck house shows how families once lived among everyday objects of the past. The Leadmining Gallery tells the story of an industry that once thrived in Swaledale until the late 19th century. The Transport Gallery holds a detailed model of Richmond Railway Station. A special room displays the Herriot Set from the BBC’s All Creatures Great and Small alongside Barker’s Chemist’s Shop. The Wenham Gallery traces the history of Richmond and its surrounding district. In 2008 the museum recreated the grocer’s shop where the founder of the Fenwick department store once worked. Nearby stands a recreated ironmonger’s shop and the old post office from Grinton. A Discovery Centre welcomes school parties and families. Visitors can try on period costumes and play with replica toys in a mock shop. The same room hosts the free Wednesday Workshops for families to take part in hands-on activities.