£100k project is to open up river bank near York’s Castle Museum

The £100,000 project envisages restoring the Victorian watermill, creating an “interpretation” of the towering York Castle walls and landscaping the banks of the River Foss behind the museum.

It is hoped the area will reopen to the public by spring next year, after a number of years of being closed to the public.

Members of the public are being consulted on the project, which is subject to planning permission, at an event at the museum between 11am and 4pm on Saturday.

Martin Watts, director of knowledge and learning at the York Museums Trust, said: “This area behind York Castle Museum has great potential to become a very important part of the museum’s offer.

“It has been closed off for a number of years, but we are now keen to open it up once more and allow visitors to explore the fantastic mill, learn about the history of York Castle and see the wildlife and flora on the banks of the River Foss.

“It will also be a great space to hold events or have a picnic in between other parts of the museum.

“Myself and designers Angela and Paul Green will be at the event to talk through our ideas with the public and to see what they think.”

The Victorian Raindale Mill was transported brick by brick to its current location from the North York Moors, where it had served Newton Upon Rawcliffe and the surrounding villages.

It stopped being in working order in 2002, but thanks to a number of skilled volunteers the water wheel now turns.

The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council-funded project also hopes to encourage wildlife on the riverbank by improving the habitat and creating a more natural access route to the water’s edge.