Yorkshire Museum of Farming

The Yorkshire Museum of Farming stands on a five-hectare grass field site in Murton Park near York. It is the only museum in the district devoted entirely to farming. In 2010 the museum received full accreditation from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The site also holds the last surviving stretch of the Derwent Valley Light Railway. A children’s play area and a café provide places to rest during a visit. The Danelaw Centre for Living History shares the same grounds. The museum’s collection traces the mechanisation of farming from the 19th century onwards. Two galleries, the Four Seasons Gallery and the Livestock Gallery, display tools and machinery used throughout the farming year. A rare Toggenburg goat called Jeffrey serves as the RAF 609 Squadron’s mascot. The Four Seasons Gallery includes an exhibition on the Women’s Land Army, featuring interviews and film footage. The Livestock Gallery shows how different animals are reared and includes a reconstruction of James Herriot’s veterinary surgery. Visitors walk past the restored stretch of the Derwent Valley Light Railway. A mock Roman fort called Brigantium acts as an outdoor classroom for school groups. Replicas of Tudor, Viking and early medieval buildings show how people farmed centuries ago. Audiovisual displays present farming families from across Yorkshire. A manuscript archive and a library of historic journals are available to view by appointment.