Malton Museum is calling on local businesses and residents to get involved in the bid to find a permanent home for its nationally significant following a mayor grant.

Last November, the museum, which is currently based in Yorkersgate, was awarded £50,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, administered by North Yorkshire Council.

The money has been used to commission consultants to undertake a feasibility study for a new home for the museum in Malton.

The consultants will be presenting their interim report at a meeting on Thursday, February 29, at St. Michael’s Church in Market Square, Malton at 2pm and 3.30pm.

Museum chairman Phil Crabtree said: "One of the most exciting things that has been happening at Malton Museum lately has been the appointment of consultants to look at moving the museum from its current home to a better premises where the Museums’ collections, which include a number of very rare and nationally significant artefacts, can be better displayed.

"The museum trustees have long been of the view that a new home will help the museum to be better, stronger, and more visible to the public and bring more visitors to Malton and provide a hub for community activities .

"The team at Malton Museum are keen for local businesses and residents to get involved in the discussion and an invitation is extended to all interested parties and help the process in deciding what form the museum might take and where it would be best located."

"This is a key moment in the evolution of the museum and your thoughts and views are welcome."

Malton Museum was founded almost 90 years ago but has never had a permanent home for its nationally significant collection of predominantly Roman artefacts.

It is currently located in the town’s Milton Rooms but the space limits the museum’s displays and its ability to welcome more visitors.

Phil added: "Malton is fortunate in possessing a number of popular attractions including the biannual food festival, the recently upgraded Milton Rooms and the refurbished Wesley Centre as well as the Woodhams Stone Collection, which is located in Norton.

"The museum hopes a new home will allow it to add even more quality and choice to the town’s existing visitor offer.

“We want to tell people more about Malton’s long and unique history, from the Roman times to the prosperity of the Georgian years and our longstanding relationships with the Fitzwilliam family and the horse racing industry.

“We are keen to involve more local residents and businesses in the museum’s activities and make a greater contribution to Malton’s visitor economy. We also want to be able to display more of our fantastic collections and host more visits to the museum by school and community groups. At the moment we are unable to do any of this justice.”

Last year the museum was the first to publicly display an Iron Age shield, hailed as the most important Celtic discovery of the millennium,

Around 2,400 years old, the shield was unearthed during an archaeological dig commissioned by housebuilder Persimmon on a development in Pocklington in East Yorkshire.

The shield has been gifted by Persimmon to local museums so that the treasure remains close to where it was discovered, starting with Malton Museum.

The consultants and lead by Chana Associates are working together with York based Purcell Architects and HSD who will advise on the best ways to display the museum collections.

For more information go to https://www.maltonmuseum.co.uk/ or email enquires.maltonmuseum@gmail.com