For generations of people in Staithes, Marie Lowden was simply “the Toffee Lady”: the woman on the High Street who made and sold her own crackly toffee. But behind that familiar village memory was a woman who had already lived several lives before she began selling sweets — and who, in later life, became a remarkably prolific published writer. There are some people who become part of a place so completely that their names almost become attached to the landscape. In Staithes,

In 1889, the antiquarian journal Old Yorkshire published “A Ramble in North Yorkshire,” a vivid account of Staithes and the surrounding coast. Part travel writing, part folklore collection, and part social commentary, it captures how Victorian visitors viewed the village and its people. Some of the descriptions are wonderfully observant. Others are deeply patronising by modern standards. The anonymous author was fascinated by what they saw as the “quaintness” and superstition

We were delighted to welcome Nicola Chalton and the team from 3-Minute Arts CIC to Staithes Museum recently, as part of their Moors & Coast creative writing series. The group spent time exploring our archive collections, gathering inspiration from the photographs, letters, and local histories that bring Staithes’ story to life. Local historian Bill Hinchley also generously offered to provide a walking tour of the village - exploring the atmosphere and history of the villave.

From Staithes Museum Newsletter issue 6, for October 2024 One of our most intriguing artefacts has been sparking curiosity among visitors: a charming poster from the Staithes Feast of 1797. Its language, rich with old customs and local games, can be hard to decode. But thanks to a serendipitous find among photocopies of records of Hinderwell baptisms, we now understand how a Skep and Pole trial was performed over 200 years ago. “Some explanation is needed to make this task un