Four Seasons Building

Our main exhibition hall takes the visitor through a year on the farm and depicts the changing work of the farmer through the seasons. There is also a granary display, a reconstructed Harvest Chapel and ironmonger’s shop. There are audio points around the Gallery and a dedicated audio-visual room where visitors can watch and listen to local farmers talking about their work.

The machines and implements in our care are a testament to the continual development of farming practices through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From historic vehicles and carts to the hand tools and implements used on the farm throughout the county, the collection tells the story of Yorkshire’s farming past. Much of this collection is on permanent display in two exhibition halls; the Four Seasons Gallery and the Livestock Gallery. Some of the larger objects are displayed in the open spaces around the museum.

Livestock Building

Explore how animals were kept through the tools and equipment associated with farm livestock including sheep, pigs, cows and horses. There is also a reconstructed dairy, blacksmiths forge, and a small room displaying the equipment and personal effects of James Herriot, the famous veterinary surgeon from Thirsk. Interactive displays have recently been installed.