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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Knaresborough Heritage Centre to open this month
Knaresborough Heritage Centre has announced it plans to open this month.
The centre, which celebrates and showcases Knaresborough’s rich history, will open on April 27 at 12 High Street.
It will offer gallery exhibitions, heritage information, children’s activities, guided walks, talks and a gift shop.
Visitors will be asked to make a minimum donation of £2. Accompanied under-16s will receive free entry.
The opening will mark 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 former Printzone premises The site has been repainted and new flooring and bespoke lighting has been installed.
Knaresborough Town Museum Group was set up in 2019 to campaign for a new museum. 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.
The centre will be open four days a week, on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
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Knaresborough Heritage Centre to open next year
A Knaresborough Heritage Centre will open on the town’s High Street next year.
The centre will include a shop selling Knaresborough books, gifts and cards, an information centre for visitors and a multi-purpose gallery for exhibitions, talks and workshops.
Located in the former Printzone premises, it is hoped the building will be open to visitors at least four days a week from spring.
Knaresborough Town Museum Group was set up in 2019 to campaign for a museum. It was renamed Knaresborough Museum Association and registered as a charity in 2021.
The association had a small gallery and office space in a converted house at 8 York Place, which has now closed to visitors.
Kathy Allday, chair of Knaresborough Museum Association
A planned move to the former Castle girls’ school fell through after protracted negotiations with Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished in April.
Kathy Allday, chair of the association, has now announced the organisation has received the keys to the former Printzone premises opposite the bus station.
Ms Allday said:
“York Place has been great but this will enable us to do more activities.
“We will be stepping-up in a lot of different areas.”
It is hoped the new site, which needs refurbishing, will be ready to open by spring.
The association organised the first Knaresborough archaeological festival in October, which attracted more than 1,000 people over two weekends.
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