Knaresborough Heritage Centre officially opened over the weekend.
The centre, which celebrates and showcases Knaresborough’s rich history, is located in the former Printzone premises at 12 High Street.
Knaresborough Museum Association, which runs the centre, marked the occasion by holding an opening event attended by Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones, Knaresborough mayor Cllr Hannah Gostlow, and Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Tom Gordon, along with almost 100 visitors.
The heritage centre consists of a small heritage shop, a visitor information desk and a museum gallery with a programme of exhibitions.
The first exhibition is called ‘the archaeology beneath our feet’ and covers geology and social history. There is also a kids zone, audio visual presentations and hundreds of artefacts and models.
Visitors are asked to make a minimum donation of £2. Accompanied under-16s receive free entry.
The centre is open four days a week, on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
Kathy Allday, chair of Knaresborough Museum Association, said:
“The heritage centre is the first of its kind – by the community for the community. Knaresborough has a wealth of archaeology that even local people aren’t always aware of. We’ll display artefacts which show that people have been living in Knaresborough for an astonishing 4,000 years.
“We want the heritage centre to be a hub where schools, groups and individuals can all get involved with lifelong learning opportunities, helping to make Knaresborough an even more wonderful town.”
Knaresborough Heritage Centre display. Image: KMA Facebook
The opening marked the culmination of a long-running campaign to find larger and more suitable premises to the small gallery and office space that previously operated from a converted house at 8 York Place.
The association has spent almost £30,000 on refurbishing the premises.
Knaresborough Town Museum Group was set up in 2019 to campaign for a new museum and plans were first put to Harrogate Borough Council in 2020 to create the space. The museum group was renamed Knaresborough Museum Association and registered as a charity in 2021.
You can see images of the opening event below:
The town crier and trustees were in attendance
A window poster at the new centre. Image: KMA Facebook
MP Andrew Jones with vice-chair Malcolm Hay at the VIP preview.
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