York Museums Trust (YMT) is delighted that it has been awarded £2m towards the repair and upgrade at the Yorkshire Museum through the Arts Council England’s Museum Estate & Development Fund (MEND) as part of the broader  Arts Everywhere Fund scheme.
 

The Yorkshire Museum is a Grade I listed building constructed in 1827 and set within the scheduled remains of St Mary’s Abbey in York Museum Gardens. The museum houses collections of national and, in some instances, international significance, spanning the Jurassic, Mesolithic, Iron Age, Roman, Viking and later medieval periods. Highlights include the exceptional medieval Middleham Jewel and the world-famous Anglo-Saxon ‘Coppergate Helmet’.   

The museum currently welcomes around 80,000 visitors each year, along with approximately 6,500 children and teachers through school visits. York Museums Trust has ambitions to grow these visitor numbers in the coming years, which can only be achieved with investment in the museum’s infrastructure and exhibition spaces. 

Later additions to the original museum building have resulted in a complex and increasingly unfit drainage system. During periods of heavy rainfall, the system is unable to manage water discharge effectively, with drainage occurring internally through the building. Blockages during torrential rain have led to water ingress which, over time, has eroded the building fabric and now poses a serious risk to the museum and its collections.  

The MEND funding will enable urgent Phase 1 works to redesign and upgrade parts of the roof, focusing on the main Tempest Anderson Hall and the museum entrance areas. This investment is vital to safeguarding the Yorkshire Museum’s nationally significant collections and represents a crucial first step towards realising the museum’s long-term ambitions, improving the visitor experience and contributing towards the future sustainability of the museum. 

Kathryn Blacker, Chief Executive of York Museums Trust, said: 

“We’re delighted to receive this support, which will play an important role in caring for the Yorkshire Museum and the internationally significant collections it holds. The funding will help us address some of the essential building works while also supporting our longer-term ambitions to improve the visitor experience and ensure the museum remains welcoming and sustainable for future generations. We’re enormously grateful to Arts Council England and the DCMS for their support.” 

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: 

“I want everyone, everywhere to feel a sense of pride about where they come from. Cultural organisations across Yorkshire and the Humber are important custodians of local identity and play a key role in the story we tell ourselves as a nation. 

“Our Arts Everywhere Fund is delivering on our commitment to support cultural assets across the country, increasing access and preserving them for future generations. This is demonstrated by grants announced today that will benefit sixteen culture venues, museums, and library services across Yorkshire and the Humber. 

“Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities, they have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity. We want to harness the power to help us build a brighter future for the people of Yorkshire and the Humber.” 

Rebecca Ball, Area Director, North, Arts Council England said: 

“Our museums, libraries and arts organisations have the power to change lives, they give us access to new worlds, teach us about our heritage and give us new perspectives on life. I’m so pleased that we’ll be supporting so many of our cultural organisations in the North with this capital investment, which will ensure that they can continue to deliver incredible arts and culture to their communities.” 

The total cost of the roof project is £5 million. Phase 1 will go ahead and complete over the next two years. Fundraising for the remaining balance is ongoing. For those who would like to find out more about how they can support the museum please contact fundraising@ymt.org.uk or find out more at Support the Trust | York Museums Trust 

Enquiries: please contact Siona Mackelworth, Head of Audience & Programme 

E: siona.mackelworth@ymt.org.um T: 07483 825647 

Editor’s Notes: 

About York Museums Trust 

The Yorkshire Museum, York Art Gallery, York Castle Museum, York Museum Gardens and York St Marys are managed and run by York Museums Trust which was founded in 2002. The vision of York Museums Trust is to connect and inspire people with the stories, history and culture of York and North York. 

About Arts Council England   

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Between 2023 and 2026 we will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to support individual practitioners, arts organisations, museums and libraries, and to help ensure that people in every part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live. Visit our website to learn more about our work.