What is the story behind Staithes Museum? It is a surprisingly complicated question. The museum is housed in the old Primitive Methodist chapel on Church Street, but the story of the museum is much more than the story of a building. It is the story of Anne and Reg Firth, who created the museum; of the people who helped to save it after Reg's death; of generations of Staithes families; and of the objects, photographs, memories and traditions that have found their way into the

Happy New Year! Please find here our January newsletter. It’s been a quiet, rainy start to the year, but there’s still plenty going on behind the scenes at the museum — from poetry exhibitions and folklore in the Yorkshire Post, to planning our new audio guide and preparing for some exciting visits and projects ahead. There are also details of the next volunteers’ meeting and a visit from the High Sheriff on 5th March, which you’re very welcome to come along to. As always, th

From the Staithes Museum Newsletter January 2026 I never met Reg Firth, yet reading Tony Horowitz’s chapter in Blue Latitudes—found for me by Bill Hinchley—was like meeting him through the pages. What comes across most vividly is his deep, personal connection to Captain Cook and to the museum he created in Staithes. Reg was a man of meticulous care and boundless energy. He reconstructed Sanderson’s shop—the place where Cook once worked—as a two-story display, complete with a