Historic North York Moors pubs including Saltersgate Inn and The Star at Harome in exhibition of old photos

The museum has launched the exhibition Pub! which is on display in the Art Gallery until Monday September 4, to showcase pictures from the collection.

The pub is rooted in the identity of Britain’s culture - and the North York Moors and Ryedale have many brilliant and well-loved pubs and inns.

Now, visitors to the exhibition can see historic photos capturing examples from the region.

Museum Director, Jennifer Smith, said: “We’ve delved in to the archives to share photos of pubs, past and present.

"Our Yorkshire pubs are such an important part of rural life and we wanted to try and capture something of what that means to people.”

Visitors will find photos of pubs they may know and recognise, such as the 16th Century The Lion Inn, located at the highest point of the North York Moors National Park at Blakey Ridge, and others no longer trading, like Saltersgate Inn, which was demolished in 2018 and famous for its smuggling stories.

Contributions from three local publicans are also featured in the exhibition, including Jake Leonard, landlord of The Crown Inn in Hutton-le-Hole and Andrew Pern, landlord of The Star Inn at Harome.

“It was wonderful to talk with our local publicans about the exhibition and share their role within the local community,” said Jennifer.

“Jake gave us his tips for serving the perfect pint and Andrew shared the heartwarming support he received from his village following the devastating fire at The Star Inn at Harome.”

Additionally, the exhibition also features artworks on sale on the theme of the pub, by Tim Gomersall, Stephen Boxall, Lesley Wood, Colin Culley, Leila Roberts and Martyn Hayes.

“We’re delighted to be able to include these contemporary artistic interpretations of the theme too,” added Jennifer.

The exhibition is hosted at Ryedale Folk Museum, in Hutton-le-Hole, and right next door to one of the featured pubs.

The open-air museum tells the story of the people of the North York Moors through 20 heritage buildings and more than 40,000 objects.

The exhibition can be seen for free, from Wednesday July 19 until Monday September 4, in the Art Gallery at Ryedale Folk Museum.

Visit www.ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk for more.