Ripon Museums

12/10/2026

The smell of freshly baked bread would once have been a familiar part of life at the Workhouse — and sometimes, it still drifts through the kitchen today.

For people living here, bread wasn’t an occasional treat. It was baked and eaten every day and formed part of every meal.

It’s one of those everyday details that helps us imagine what life here was really like — the same routines, the same surroundings and the same simple food, day after day.

How differently would you think about bread if you ate it at every meal?

07/10/2026

We’re finalists!
More exciting shiny awards news as we’ve been shortlisted for Small Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Visit North Yorkshire Tourism Awards 2026.

It’s a lovely bit of recognition for our team, volunteers and everyone who has helped bring the stories of our three museums to life — and we’re especially proud to be representing Ripon alongside some brilliant attractions from across North Yorkshire.

Wish us luck!

24/09/2026

Oh well...we only went and won it! £3.3 million investment into the Workhouse and to the heritage city of Ripon. We're so proud that our 'Fairer Futures' project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and others, made this accolade possible- winner of the Tourism category in the Harrogate Business Awards. The new powerful and compelling experience at the Workhouse tells important untold stories and puts Ripon on the map. So proud, hopefully the first of many awards!

24/09/2026

We're very proud to have been shortlisted in the Harrogate Business Awards for the tourism category. Here's our Director Alexa, along with Freya and Laura who are representing the Trust at the awards ceremony..fingers crossed we bring this home for Ripon and our brilliant team of staff and volunteers!

23/09/2026

National Poetry Day is coming to the Workhouse.
On Thursday 1st October, we’re handing the Woodshed over to Ripon Poets for a morning of local voices, local history and a few darker corners of Ripon’s past.

Expect poems with titles including Vagrants, The Shadow of the Workhouse, Invisible and The Dark Side, alongside work inspired by Ripon’s people and places.

The readings run from 11am–12pm, with tea and coffee from 10.30am, and there’ll be time to chat about the poems afterwards.

The event is included with museum admission, or you can come along just for the poetry for £2 at the front desk.

We’re also really pleased that our own volunteer, Niamh Shaw, will be among the poets sharing their work on the day.

Part of Ripon Poets’ National Poetry Day celebrations across the city.

19/09/2026

We’re looking for an artist or creative practitioner to work with young people on an exciting new creative project exploring themes of fairness, judgement, identity and representation.

The £3,000 commission will involve delivering eight participatory workshops with Ripon Museums’ Young Producers and young people at Wetherby Young Offender Institution, using our historic mugshots and crime and punishment collections as a starting point.

The final creative response could take many forms, from textiles, film and photography to performance, writing, podcasts or visual art.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from artists with experience of collaborative or community-based practice and working with young people.

Deadline: 20 October 2026
Commission: £3,000
Full brief and details:https://riponmuseums.co.uk/app/uploads/2026/09/Brief-Young-Offenders-and-young-leaders.pdf

Please share this opportunity with any artists or creative practitioners in your networks who you think might be interested.

16/09/2026

Even the furniture told you who was in charge.
The Guardian’s chair at Ripon Workhouse sits noticeably higher than an ordinary chair — putting the people appearing before the Guardians quite literally below them.

They might have been asking for relief, requesting admission to the workhouse, or waiting to hear what punishment they would receive.

A small detail, but one that says a lot about power and authority inside the Workhouse.

Look closely when you visit — sometimes the building tells its story in the things you could easily walk straight past.

16/09/2026

Calling all teachers in the Halifax area!

👩‍🏫 Hey, TEACHERS! What're you up to this weekend? 🍎
We're hosting a Teachers' Morning THIS Saturday 19 Sept - free entry, the chance to talk to Learning Teams from attractions across the region about your school trips, and zero pressure
Book here: https://play.eureka.org.uk/event/teacher-morning/

Meet the teams from Whistlestop Valley, Murton Park, Eden Camp Modern History Museum, Magna Science Adventure Centre, Holocaust Centre North, Royal Armouries, Ripon Museums, Stockeld Park , Calderdale Museums and Arts and Eureka Science + Discovery

15/09/2026