York Museum Gardens Project Concludes with Celebration and New Chapter Ahead

York Museums Trust has announced the successful completion of its latest Heritage Hunters project, exploring the fascinating and often untold stories of York Museum Gardens.

York Museums Trust has announced the successful completion of its latest Heritage Hunters project, exploring the fascinating and often untold stories of York Museum Gardens.

The initiative, made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, has resulted in a new magazine celebrating the site’s rich and varied history.

Building on the success of previous Heritage Hunters projects in Acomb, Westfield, the Groves, and Hull Road, this year’s programme brought together past participants, community researchers, and local artists to uncover the people, buildings, and events that have shaped one of York’s most cherished public spaces.

Unlike earlier projects that focused on residential areas, Heritage Hunters: Museum Gardens turned its attention to the city’s historic green heart.

The resulting publication, Heritage Hunters: York Museum Gardens, features research and reflections by local residents and returning Heritage Hunters, offering a fresh perspective on the area’s evolution through the centuries.

The project highlights York Museum Gardens not only as a place of beauty and leisure but also as a living archive of York’s heritage.

Topics explored in the magazine include the Gardens’ long history from the Brigantes through to the Norman period, the story of St Mary’s Abbey and the archaeological treasures discovered there, and the origins of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society — including the important role of women in its development.

Other features focus on the Gardens’ social history, including the swimming baths that operated on the site from 1837 to 1922, and how the space was used and adapted during the Second World War.

Through the Heritage Hunters project, York Museums Trust continues to celebrate the city’s remarkable past while encouraging communities to engage with the stories that have shaped York’s identity.