Ryedale Folk Museum

1964-2014 As we celebrate our 50th year we thought it only right to tell you a bit about how we first began... We first opened in 1964 and have a long tradition of rescuing and preserving Ryedale's heritage but we would not be here today if it wasn't for the work of three particularly inspiring men; Wilfred Crosland, Bertram Frank and Raymond Hayes. All three lived in the village of Hutton-le-Hole, the museum's picturesque location, and rather that just despairing at the continued loss of buildings, objects and traditions from across the Ryedale region, they decided to actually do something about it! Wilfred Crosland (1876 - 1961) Wilfred lived in the cottage that now forms the museum's main office and gift shop. He was highly regarded as a local historian and antiquary, fathering the idea of a Ryedale museum in Hutton-le-Hole. It was after his death in 1961 that his sisters, Helen and Minnie, asked Bert Frank to take over his museum room. Bertram Frank (1919 - 1996) Th...

Voices from the past Matthew Cundall from the University of Leeds blogs about new resources he’s created for the museum When Raymond Hayes died in 2000, it closed the book on a chapter of Ryedale life. For nearly 90 years, Raymond had a front row seat in the life of Hutton-le-Hole. As the local photographer and later as a prominent archaeologist, he saw the village change forever. Before his eyes, generations came and went. His photographic studio, now an exhibit here, has allowed visitors to see the objects which surrounded his life. But these objects can’t tell us what he thought about the times in which he lived. What did Raymond’s generation think about the impact of rising house prices, depopulation and increased tourism? How did he react to the closure of the local school and the outbreak of the Second World War? How did they speak? Eleven years after his death, we can help answer these questions. Thanks to a new partnership between Ryedale Folk Museum and the School of English a...

Susan is one of three volunteers responsible for the library. Much of the library was donated by the founders Wilfrid Crosland, Bert Frank and Raymond Hayes.