Ryedale councillors expected to back Malton Museum location switch (From York Press)

Ryedale councillors expected to back Malton Museum location switch

8:27am Monday 22nd March 2010 in

By Mark Stead » mark.stead@thepress.co.uk

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A NEW museum aimed at becoming Ryedale’s version of York’s world-famous Jorvik Centre could come a step closer to reality this week.

Councillors are being asked to back plans to switch Malton Museum from its current home at the Old Town Hall to a new site over the historic Roman fort of Derventio in a £2.2 million scheme. They are also being asked to contribute towards the cost.

The project is being run by the York Archaeological Trust (YAT) together with the Malton Museum Foundation, which hopes the move would attract 40,000 visitors a year to the museum’s new location at the Fitzwilliam Estate Buildings next to Orchard Fields.

The two bodies have asked for Ryedale District Council to chip in to make the scheme a reality, and the authority’s community services committee is expected to recommend £50,000 from the public purse is provided when it meets later this week. As well as new exhibitions, educational facilities, a café and shop, a walled garden and a children’s play area, the relocated museum would allow ongoing archaeology work on the site for the next decade.

A report on the scheme said it would be a “major contribution to visitor appeal and the economy of Malton” and save the council money, as it is currently responsible for the annual £13,270 running costs at the Old Town Hall site. “The project forms a part of the Heart Of Malton programme to improve the visitor economy and to free up commercial space in the town centre,” said the report.

It said YAT had applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a £50,000 grant to carry out a full survey of the Orchard Fields site and draw up architectural plans, which would pave the way for a further grant application of £1 million in autumn. Work on the move could start next January.

A final decision on the council’s proposed £50,000 contribution is expected to be made at a full meeting of the authority at a later date.

Comments(6)

LittleTed says...
8:40am Mon 22 Mar 10

An archaeological dig in Maltons Orchard fields would be fascinating.
As I understand there are large Roman mosaics to be "re-discovered" there, be great to see them.
Also, I do believe that the Romans settled in Malton on their way to the confluence of the rivers, now known as Ouse and Foss. Therefore, Malton is older than York!