Ryedale Folk Museum: an open-air museum of the moors

What it is

Ryedale Folk Museum occupies several acres behind the main street at Hutton-le-Hole. Rather than cases of objects, the collection is largely buildings: cottages, barns, workshops and outbuildings that were dismantled where they stood elsewhere in the moors and re-erected here, furnished as they would have been in use. You wander between them on grass paths, ducking through low doorways into rooms that smell of woodsmoke and stone.

The result is a museum that reads like a small vanished village, covering a long span of Yorkshire rural life, medieval timber framing at one end of the site, a twentieth-century village shop and cottage interiors at the other.

What to see

• The cruck-framed cottage, a rescued medieval timber-framed building, thatched and furnished, and the single most striking thing on the site.
• Cottage and farmhouse interiors, hearths, box beds, kitchen ranges and the everyday objects that went with them.
• Workshops and trades, the blacksmith's forge, wheelwright and other craft buildings, often demonstrated on event days.
• The village shop and photographic studio, period retail and studio interiors that children in particular enjoy.
• Gardens and heritage crops, cottage gardens, orchard and traditional growing that change through the season.

Programmes vary year to year, so treat the above as the shape of the place rather than a fixed inventory, and check the museum's own website for what is open and what is on.

How long to allow

Two to three hours is right for most adults: enough to walk the whole site, go inside the buildings and read the interpretation. With children, or on a craft and demonstration day, allow half a day and eat in the village afterwards. It is mostly outdoors on grass, so wear shoes you don't mind getting damp and take a coat, the weather here changes quickly.

Tickets, opening and getting there

The museum charges admission and runs a seasonal opening pattern, with a reduced winter season and special event days through the year. Ticket prices, family rates and any annual pass change, so check the museum's own website before travelling rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere.

By car it is a short, well-signed drive off the A170 from Kirkbymoorside; the National Park car park in Hutton-le-Hole is a couple of minutes' walk from the entrance and the village lanes are narrow, so use it. Public transport to Hutton-le-Hole is limited, check the current timetable before planning a bus visit.

Make a day of it around Hutton-le-Hole

The museum works best as the centrepiece of a whole day in this corner of the moors. A good shape:

• Morning at the museum, then lunch or a drink in Hutton-le-Hole beside the beck and the sheep-grazed green.
• A short afternoon walk over to Lastingham and its remarkable Norman crypt, or up onto the moor edge. See our walks guide.
• Drive north over the tops to Rosedale and Blakey Ridge for the big moorland views, a classic stretch of our driving routes.
• In late March and April, add the Farndale daffodils riverside walk a few miles away.

For families, pair it with the steam railway or Dalby Forest on the following day, see our guide to the moors with kids. Ruin-hunters should read our abbeys and castles guide, since Rievaulx and Helmsley Castle are both within half an hour.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Ryedale Folk Museum?

It is in the middle of Hutton-le-Hole, a village on the southern edge of the North York Moors between Kirkbymoorside and Rosedale, about 25 minutes from Pickering and 15 from Helmsley.

How long do you need at Ryedale Folk Museum?

Allow two to three hours to walk the whole site and go inside the buildings. With children, a craft session or a special event day, half a day passes easily.

Is Ryedale Folk Museum open all year?

It is a largely outdoor site and runs a seasonal opening pattern, with reduced winter opening and event days through the year. Check the museum's own website for current days, times and ticket prices before travelling.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes, it is one of the most child-friendly attractions in the moors. Children can walk in and out of the cottages, workshops and barns, and there are regular hands-on craft and heritage activity days in the school holidays.

Is Ryedale Folk Museum dog friendly?

Dogs on leads are generally welcome on the outdoor site, though access inside historic buildings may be restricted. Confirm with the museum before you set off.