Staithes Museum

Staithes Museum Free museum with a diverse collection of local historical items from Staithes group paintings to model boats to thousands of historic photographs. Free Entry

Run by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, donations are welcome!

📅 A VERY IMPORTANT DATE: THE DAY ELEVEN DAYS DISAPPEARED 📅Imagine going to bed on Wednesday 2 September 1752 and waking ...
02/09/2026

📅 A VERY IMPORTANT DATE: THE DAY ELEVEN DAYS DISAPPEARED 📅

Imagine going to bed on Wednesday 2 September 1752 and waking up the next morning to discover that it was suddenly Thursday 14 September.

Where had the other eleven days gone? They had simply been removed from the calendar.

Britain had finally adopted the Gregorian calendar, which much of Europe had already been using. The old Julian calendar had gradually fallen out of step with the solar year, leaving Britain eleven days behind the Gregorian system.
So Parliament passed an Act ordering that: 2 September 1752 was to be followed by 14 September 1752 The dates 3rd to 13th September simply did not exist in Britain that year.

And while this might sound like a rather dry bit of administrative housekeeping, but people at the time were understandably rather confused. There were concerns about birthdays, rents, contracts, wages and feast days. Some people even believed that the government had literally stolen eleven days from their lives. The famous cry of "Give us back our eleven days!" became associated with opposition to the reform.

But here's the bit I particularly love. A contemporary record from Glaisdale, later quoted by historian John Walker Ord, describes what happened when Christmas came around. Some people celebrated the new Christmas Day. Others insisted on keeping "Old Christmas". And according to the local curate, the belief was so strong among the people of the moors that fewer than forty people turned up for the sacrament on the new Christmas Day. He blamed this on "superstition and bigotry" — before launching into the wonderfully exasperated cry: "Oh, opinion! Oh, conceit!! Oh, ignorance!!!"

We rather suspect the people of North Yorkshire may simply have had their own ideas about when Christmas ought to be.

🎄 So, if you think Christmas arrives too early these days, spare a thought for the people of 1752. Theirs came early by act of parliament.

Have a look inside Staithes Museum: Captain Cook ⚓🌊Did you know that Staithes has a connection to one of the most famous...
01/09/2026

Have a look inside Staithes Museum: Captain Cook ⚓🌊

Did you know that Staithes has a connection to one of the most famous names in British maritime history?

Before he became Captain James Cook, the young Cook spent time in Staithes, working in the shop of local merchant William Sanderson. It was here that he began learning about the sea and ships before going on to become a sailor — and eventually one of the world's most famous explorers.

Cook's connection to Staithes is an important part of our museum's story, and our collection includes objects and displays exploring his early life, his time on the Yorkshire coast and the voyages that made him famous.

Swipe through for a closer look at some of the Cook-related objects and details you can discover when you visit.

And when you're in Staithes for the Arts Festival, why not come and see the rest of the story for yourself? 👀

Free entry • Donations welcome • Stories of Staithes inside!

31/08/2026

💜 One in a million!

We’re delighted to be celebrating Canva’s One in a Million milestone alongside one million not-for-profits using Canva to make a difference in their communities.

At Staithes Museum, Canva has become part of almost everything we do — from interpretation boards and museum signage to leaflets, worksheets, social media, newsletters and even our name badges! It's easy to use, and, because we're a charity, Canva let us use all of their features for free!

At Staithes Museum, we're all about finding more ways for everyone to discover, enjoy and connect with the stories of Staithes. And Canva has been a great help ❤️

Here’s to being one in a million — and to the creativity and community that help make our work possible!

Last week's poem was about Scrimshaw. Did you get it? This week, I've got your final riddle-poem - see if you can guess ...
31/08/2026

Last week's poem was about Scrimshaw. Did you get it? This week, I've got your final riddle-poem - see if you can guess the answer -

I sailed with Captain Cook across the wide sea,
To places where few people'd been before me.
Aboard the Endeavour, I travelled so far,
Past islands and oceans beneath every star.

While Cook made his charts and mapped out the land,
I searched for plants with my notebook in hand.
I gathered specimens, seeds and flowers too,
And recorded the strange things that came into view.

From Australia’s shores, discoveries came,
And some plants today still carry my name.
Look around the museum — you might even see
A Banksia plant that I named after me!

I sailed with Cook, explored the unknown,
And brought all my samples of the natural world home.
Then I took the praise and the glory and thanks
So you all remember, my name's _______ ________!

This week is your last chance to submit your poems to the Staithes Museum's poetry competition. Staithes' favourite local poet, Andy Blackford, is going to judge your entries, and pick his top 10 winners to be displayed at the museum during the arts festival. We can't wait to read what you've read! Good luck!

In the Museum Shop: Staithes Smock Jackets 🧶🌊Looking for something warm, practical and very, very Yorkshire?Our Staithes...
30/08/2026

In the Museum Shop: Staithes Smock Jackets 🧶🌊

Looking for something warm, practical and very, very Yorkshire?

Our Staithes smock jackets are back in the museum shop! Made from 100% British wool, they’re available in sizes S–XXL for £72.

And if stripes are more your thing, we also have a lovely Breton-style jumper, also made from 100% British wool, for £75.

A little bit of local terminology, too: you might know these as ganseys, but here in Staithes they’re traditionally called smock jackets. Whatever you call them, they’re wonderfully suited to a North Yorkshire coastline where the weather can change its mind every five minutes! 🌊

Come into the museum, have a browse, and try one on. Entry is free, and we're open every day, 10:30-16:30 ❤️

Have a look inside Staithes Museum 👀Planning a visit to Staithes for the Arts Festival? Make sure you leave a little tim...
29/08/2026

Have a look inside Staithes Museum 👀

Planning a visit to Staithes for the Arts Festival? Make sure you leave a little time to have a look inside the museum!

Behind our doors you'll find fishing, fossils, mining, railways, art, Captain Cook, local characters and the everyday objects that tell the story of Staithes. 🐟⛏️🎨

This post gives you just a little glimpse of what you'll discover inside - from tiny details you might walk straight past to objects with stories stretching back hundreds of years.

And there's plenty more where these came from!

Free entry • Donations (and dogs) welcome • Right in the heart of Staithes

Come in, have a wander, and see what catches your eye. ❤️

If you've walked along Staithes High Street, you may have noticed the old clock and barometer mounted on the wall near D...
28/08/2026

If you've walked along Staithes High Street, you may have noticed the old clock and barometer mounted on the wall near Dottie's.

They're not simply useful pieces of street furniture. They're a memorial to one of Staithes' fishermen, George Hanson, who gave his life trying to save others.
On the evening of 28th August 1957, a schoolmaster had brought a group of pupils to the harbour to bathe. The sea outside the harbour was rough and stormy.When cries for help were heard, George Hanson — the 52-year-old Head Launcher of the Runswick Lifeboat — didn't hesitate. He went into the water fully clothed and managed to bring a schoolboy safely back to shore.

But there was still another person in difficulty.

George went back into the water to try to reach the schoolmaster, Christopher Jardine. He was unable to reach him and collapsed in the water himself.
Three young men — Stephen Jackson, James Wright and lifeboat coxswain Frank Verrill — launched an 18-foot rowing boat and managed to bring George ashore. Sadly, he died shortly afterwards. The search for Mr Jardine continued into the night, and his body was eventually found after dark.

George's bravery was recognised by the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust, which awarded his widow a memorial certificate, a pension and assistance with funeral expenses. The RNLI also made a grant to her. Two years later, in 1959, a memorial clock and barometer were unveiled on Staithes High Street. The plaque records that they were erected to honour George Hanson, "a Staithes fisherman" who lost his life in a gallant attempt to rescue a drowning bather in a rough sea.

George's name is also remembered on the RNLI's national memorial, alongside the many lifeboat men and women who have lost their lives in the service of others.
So next time you pass that clock, take a moment to look at the plaque. It remembers a local Staithes hero!

Last week's poem-riddle answer was a painting called "Friends", by Dame Laura Knight. Here's the next puzzle for you: I ...
27/08/2026

Last week's poem-riddle answer was a painting called "Friends", by Dame Laura Knight.

Here's the next puzzle for you:

I once belonged to something that swam through the sea,
But now I tell stories of what men could see.
With a knife and a needle, a picture was drawn,
While watching for whales from dusk until dawn.

Great creatures we hunted far out in the blue,
And the scenes on my surface show what they would do.
A harpoon, a ship, and the chase on the waves—
to bring home the lamp fuel to light up your caves.

I’m smooth in your hand, though I’m older than most,
A souvenir carried from coast unto coast.
I’m a picture, a keepsake, a relic of whaling,
A glimpse of a dangerous life long gone sailing.

The creatures we hunted are hunted no more,
But we still have this carving - it's called a ___________.

Did you get it? Do you fancy writing your own poem? You have got until September 1st to submit your entry into the museum's poetry competition. Just write a poem about your favourite museum object, and send it to me at [email protected]

🎨 A STORMY START FOR THE STAITHES ARTISTS 🎨The Staithes Art Club held its First Annual Exhibition in 1901 at the Fisherm...
26/08/2026

🎨 A STORMY START FOR THE STAITHES ARTISTS 🎨

The Staithes Art Club held its First Annual Exhibition in 1901 at the Fishermen’s Institute in the heart of the village Thanks to the beautifully preserved pages of The Secret Staithes Diary of Enid Lucy Pease Robinson, we have a vivid, eyewitness account of its chaotic opening day on Monday, 26 August 1901.

The exhibition was scheduled to open in the afternoon, but the North Sea weather had other ideas. Enid Robinson recorded: "A cold, dull, cheerless morning, which ripened into a violent northern gale in the afternoon and evening".

Because of the roaring storm, there wasn't any definite opening ceremony. Instead, a flurry of conflicting rumours and village gossip kept the waiting crowd entertained:

First, word spread that the exhibition was to be opened at 1:30 PM by Miss Turnbull of Whitby, the fiancée of the Art Club's secretary, Joseph Richard Bagshawe. Then, reports claimed the Duchess of Kent would perform the honours at 2:30 PM. Amused locals joked that the opener would more likely be the "Duchess of Bagshawe" (referring to Miss Turnbull).

While waiting at the door of the Fishermen's Institute, Enid spoke with a local resident, Mr. Neashaw, who told her: "Nay, ah deeunt knea... but, ere's misther Bagshawe a-comin'; ah'll ax 'im, though ah bet anything 'e won't knea 'isself, though it's 'im as is a-gettin' of it oop!"

When J.R. Bagshawe did arrive, the young diarist was unimpressed, describing the future renowned marine artist as "an unmannerly young man" who addressed them in an "off-hand tone" and walked away without even raising his cap. As the gale whipped up, Enid and her mother sat inside the Institute until 4:00 PM waiting for the "Duchess of Kent or her substitute" to arrive, but the storm ultimately triumphed.

If you haven't had much luck fossil hunting this week, don't give up just yet! 🦖🪨Why not pop into the museum tomorrow an...
25/08/2026

If you haven't had much luck fossil hunting this week, don't give up just yet! 🦖🪨

Why not pop into the museum tomorrow and have a chat with our fossil expert? He volunteers with us on Wednesdays and knows an astonishing amount about the fossils you can find along the Yorkshire coast. He can help you work out what you've found, where it came from, and whether that funny-looking lump in your pocket is actually something rather special!

And Staithes is a pretty brilliant place to go looking. Our cliffs are part of the Jurassic Coast of Yorkshire, with rocks dating back around 180 million years to the Jurassic period. The seas that covered this area were home to ammonites, belemnites and all sorts of marine life — which is why pieces of that ancient seabed can still turn up on the beach today. 🌊🦕

A few fossil-hunting tips from us:
🔎 Look among the loose rocks and shingle rather than breaking into the cliffs.
🌧️ A bit of wet weather can actually make fossils easier to spot — the colours and patterns often stand out more.
👀 And remember: not every strange-looking rock is a fossil… but that's where our expert comes in!

So if you've come back from the beach wondering “What on earth have I found?” — bring it along and ask us. We love a mystery rock! 😄

Address

High Street
Staithes
TS135BQ

Opening Hours

Monday 10:30am - 4:15pm
Tuesday 10:30am - 4:15pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 4:15pm
Thursday 10:30am - 4:15pm
Friday 10:30am - 4:15pm
Saturday 10:30am - 4:15pm
Sunday 10:30am - 4:15pm

Telephone

+441947841454

Website

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