A COMMUNITY group striving to create a museum in Pocklington has been granted charitable status by the Charity Commissioners, and is now named Pocklington District Heritage Trust.

The chance to keep recent Iron Age and Saxon archaeological discoveries in the town saw the group formed in 2017. Further digs produced more finds of international importance.

The group aims to develop a local facility to showcase and tell the story of all eras from Pocklington, surrounding villages and the western Wolds, covering an area of approximately Melbourne to Huggate on one axis, and Nunburnholme to Wilberfoss in the other.

The Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) application was approved in November, and the new trust is now managed by a board of ten trustees. Chairman of trustees, Phil Gilbank, said: “Gaining charitable status is a small but significant step on the road to achieving our vision of a museum that does justice to the area’s remarkable heritage. We have a long way to go, and current circumstances make the challenge greater, but we are determined to create something special that will appeal to local individuals, groups and schools, and to visitors.”

The project saw a public consultation in Pocklington in 2019, and almost 6,000 people, mostly local, have signed a petition of support. Discussions with the Burnby Hall Gardens Trust to house a museum within a redeveloped Burnby Hall are ongoing.

Phil continued: “Creating a museum will totally depend on resources, both financial and people. We still need to launch a funding campaign, and recruiting volunteers to staff it is way off. But if there is anyone interested in helping that has particular heritage or fund raising skills or experience, we would love to hear from them. Establishing the trust has been a challenge in itself, but we’re keen to make progress and to keep the community informed and involved.

“The historic landscape around Pocklington has been well known for many years; but the finds of the past five years has given it a much greater focus, and provided a once in a lifetime opportunity that we cannot afford to let go.”

News of the Pocklington finds was broadcast around the globe by press and television, and housing them will require a facility which meets the highest standards. In addition to the recent archaeology, the heritage trust has also identified artefacts and related stories from throughout the district’s history, from prehistoric to 20th century, and has been in contact with several local collectors who have offered to loan or donate artefacts from down the ages.

The heritage trust has produced a 'Pocklington District Heritage' Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/groups/2719192681663476/ and is now working on building a website. Anyone wanting to make contact with the trust can do so by email on pocklingtonheritage@gmail.com, or by ringing Phil Gilbank on 07944 006133.