Staithes Museum Newsletter March 2026

Dear all,

Please find linked here our March newsletter from Staithes Museum. A text-only version is below this message.

Although we've had hail and gales, it’s been a busy and productive start to the season. In this issue, you’ll find an update on our visitor numbers, a look back at our recent Photo Day, and reflections from the “Press Pause” workshop on tourism in Staithes.

We’ve also included news of recent visitors to the museum, our outreach talks in the community, and an introduction to a new digital guide to the Webber prints, which will be launching in May.

As always, thank you for your continued support—we hope you enjoy reading!

Best wishes,

Staithes Museum

March Visitor Numbers: A Strong Start to the Season

March has given us a very encouraging start to the 2026 season, with visitor numbers already showing strong growth compared to previous years.

In the first four weeks alone, we welcomed 7677 visitors—a significant increase on the same period in 2025, which saw 6,441 visitors.

Photo Day at the Museum

On the 14th of March, we held a Photo Day at the museum—an opportunity to bring together some of the remarkable photographic collections that have recently come into our care, and, just as importantly, the people who know the stories behind them.

For the day, I uploaded a selection of newly digitised images onto the museum touchscreen, allowing visitors to browse through them interactively. In the second shop, we also set up a continuous slideshow, creating a more reflective space where photographs could be viewed at leisure. Between the two, the images filled the building—Staithes in all its forms, across decades, unfolding on screen after screen.

We were very pleased to welcome a number of local volunteers, as well as Anne King and Jill Turton, both of whom have been instrumental in helping the museum acquire significant photographic collections. Mrs King supported her father in donating his photographs of the village, including many vivid images of the Staithes Carnival—a subject he was deeply involved in. These photographs capture not just the spectacle, but the spirit of the event: the creativity, the community effort, and the sense of occasion that transformed the village year after year.

Jill Turton, meanwhile, helped facilitate the donation of Grant McKee’s photographic collection—an extraordinary record of Staithes over time. McKee’s work offers a detailed and thoughtful portrait of the village, documenting its people, its streets, and its changing character with remarkable depth.

What made the day truly special, however, was not just the photographs themselves, but the conversations they sparked. Bill Hinchley, John Cole and Colin Harrison all came along and spent time with us, looking through the images and sharing their memories. It quickly became clear that almost every photograph carried a story—often several. A street scene would prompt recollections of who lived where; a carnival float would lead to tales of how it was built; a familiar face would open up a whole network of connections.

These were not fleeting anecdotes, but rich, detailed accounts—stories layered with humour, emotion, and a deep knowledge of the village. It was a reminder that photographs are only ever part of the record; it is the memories attached to them that bring them fully to life.

While the event did not draw a large number of visitors from the wider public, it succeeded in something perhaps more valuable: it created the space for these stories to be shared, recorded, and appreciated. For those who attended, it was a deeply engaging and rewarding day—and certainly one I very much enjoyed being part of.

Press Pause… and What Next?

This month, the museum attended a Press Pause workshop facilitated by SCOTO, bringing together residents, businesses and community groups to reflect on tourism in Staithes — what is working well, what could be improved, and what we might do differently in future.

As ever in Staithes, the discussion was thoughtful, sometimes controversial, wide-ranging, and rooted in a strong sense of place. It was particularly encouraging to see that most attendees felt broadly positive about tourism, recognising both its importance to the village and the need to ensure it works for the community as a whole.

Learning from Elsewhere

One of the more interesting aspects of SCOTO’s approach is that they draw on examples from other small communities facing similar challenges.

We heard, for instance, about coastal villages in southern Europe — particularly in parts of Italy and Spain — where narrow streets and limited road access created significant pressure from visitor traffic. Rather than trying to force more cars into unsuitable spaces, some communities developed water-based transport solutions, using boats and ferries to move visitors in and out more sustainably.

The principle behind these examples is not that there is a single solution to tourism challenges, but that communities can shape tourism around their own geography, character and needs, rather than the other way around.

What We Took Away

Several themes from the session resonated strongly:

• The importance of clear communication, particularly online

• The value of working collaboratively across the village, and businesses talking more to each other.

• The need to think about who tourism is for, and how it benefits Staithes

• Changing visitor patterns, with fewer repeat visits and more short-term trips

There was also discussion around how Staithes presents itself — both to our regular visitors and to those discovering it for the first time.

Our Response

Following the workshop, we have started to experiment with a few practical steps at the museum.

Promoting Local Events — in a Museum Way

We have begun sharing local events on our social media, including the upcoming RNLI auction, but with an added layer of context drawn from the museum’s collections and stories.

Rather than simply advertising events, we are:

• Linking them to Staithes’ history and heritage

• Including anecdotes, objects and local voices

• Placing current activity within a longer story of the village

This reflects a simple idea: the museum and local businesses are not in competition — we are all contributing to the same place, and can strengthen each other by working together.

What We Will Be Trying Next

Building on the workshop discussions, we will also be exploring:

• A clearer “What’s On” presence onlineMaking it easier for visitors (particularly those not using Facebook) to find out what is happening in the village.

• Connecting the village through storytellingUsing the museum’s collections to link events, places and people — past and present — across Staithes.

• Championing local makers and businessesHighlighting the work of local craftspeople, including those based in the museum, and helping visitors understand the stories behind what they see and buy.

• Sharing local knowledge more openlyDrawing on the many enquiries we receive about family history, cottages and village life, and turning these into accessible stories for a wider audience.

Looking Ahead

One final (and slightly intriguing) element of SCOTO’s process is that they have, apparently, already experienced Staithes both in person and online — effectively “secret shopping” the village to understand what visitors encounter.

We understand that a full report will follow in the coming months, bringing together their observations alongside the workshop discussions. This should provide a useful external perspective on how Staithes is currently presented and experienced.

In the meantime, the workshop has provided a valuable opportunity to reflect — and, more importantly, to begin testing small, practical ways of working together.

As always, if you have ideas, events to share, or stories to tell, the museum would be very glad to hear from you.

A Window into the Past: Staithes in 1851

We are thrilled to announce that the North York Moors has secured for the museum a rare and detailed map of Staithes from 1851, which has been professionally scanned by the Northumberland Archives. This map offers an incredible glimpse into the village’s layout during its mid-Victorian peak, a time when the village was a bustling center of industry and a powerhouse of the North Sea fishing trade.

Vanished Landscapes

One of the most interesting features of the 1851 map is the sheer number of structures that are no longer standing. In the mid-19th century, Seaton Garth (the Staith) was far more extensive than it is today; rows of houses once stretched along the front where the tide now ebbs and flows. Historical records suggest that where there is now only shingle and rock, there were once orchards, gardens, and at least thirteen more houses that were eventually "swallowed" by the North Sea during the great storms of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Similarly, the map reveals a crowded beckside teeming with buildings. In 1851, the beck was lined with fish-curing houses, warehouses, and salting sheds, many of which were built directly onto the shingle.  These industries, which once made Staithes the most important fishing port north of the Wash, have long since vanished, leaving the beckside much quieter today.

Staithes: 1851 vs. Today

Comparing the village on this map to the Staithes we know today highlights some fascinating transformations:

The Fishing Industry: In 1851, Staithes was a "great fisher toun," with upwards of 80 boats—including 14 massive five-man yawls—manned by over 300 men. Today, while Staithes remains a living community, commercial fishing has largely been replaced by a seasonal tourist economy.

Infrastructure and Water: The 1851 map predates the arrival of the railway (1883) and the first reliable piped water (1892). Villagers in 1851 still carried their drinking water from the beck in wooden "skeels" balanced on their heads. 

Religion: 1851 was the year of a significant religious census, showing a village dominated by Nonconformity. While nearly 600 adults attended the Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist, and Congregational chapels on a single Sunday, the village actually lacked an Anglican church building until later in the century.

Looking Closer: Reinterpreting the Webber Prints

Many visitors to the museum will be familiar with the series of 61 engravings lining the walls — detailed scenes of distant places, people, and encounters from the final voyage of Captain James Cook. For years, they have formed a striking visual backdrop to the museum. But with just a single sentence on each label, telling you where the person is from, they sometimes get visitors glancing, saying, “Ah, yes, slavery.” and moving on. 

But what stories do they really tell?

As part of my apprenticeship, I have been working on a new digital guide to these prints, which will be available on Bloomberg Connects, as well as in a printed booklet. The aim is simple: to allow visitors to look up any individual image and uncover the story behind it — where it was made, who it depicts, and what was happening at that moment in the voyage.

At first glance, the prints appear to illustrate a familiar narrative of exploration. They are based on the drawings of John Webber, who accompanied Cook between 1776 and 1779. But when examined more closely, they reveal something far richer and more complex. Each image captures a moment of encounter — between people, cultures, and ways of understanding the world.

This project has been shaped by one of the central ideas in my apprenticeship: the decolonisation of interpretation. Traditionally, displays like these have centred the story of the European explorer — presenting figures like Cook as the main subject, with the people in the images appearing as background or context.

The Bloomberg Connects guide takes a different approach. It treats each print as a subject in its own right, and, crucially, it places the people within the images at the centre of their own stories. A Tongan boxing match becomes a highly structured ritual of rank and discipline, rather than a familiar sport. A Māori pā is understood as a space of genealogy and identity, not simply a fortification. A Kamchatkan home reveals subtle signs of Russian imperial influence, showing a society already adapting to global change.

Across the 61 entries, a wider pattern emerges. These images show dignity, skill, and cultural richness. They also reveal misunderstanding, imbalance, and moments of tension — from fragile first encounters to outright conflict. They reflect the Enlightenment ideals that shaped Cook’s voyage — the desire to observe, measure, and classify — but also the limits of that way of understanding the world.

As a collection, the prints are irreplaceable. In some cases, they provide the only visual record of people and places at a particular moment in time. Yet without context, they risk being misunderstood — seen as decorative or observational, rather than as records of complex human encounters.

This guide is an attempt — necessarily an imperfect one — to restore that context. By giving each image its own voice, and by recognising the people within them as active participants rather than passive subjects, it invites visitors to look again at what has always been there on the walls.

When the guide launches, visitors will be able to explore the full series at their own pace, moving between images, places, and stories. It is a small step towards a more thoughtful and inclusive way of interpreting the past — one that acknowledges not just the journey of an explorer, but the many worlds he encountered along the way.

Taking the Museum on the Road

March saw the museum heading out into the community, with two talks sharing the story of Staithes beyond our walls.

I gave a talk to the Friends of Guisborough Library, with an audience of around 40 people, followed by a second talk to the WI in Kirton. The Kirton group was particularly encouraging—many had never visited Staithes Museum before, but by the end of the talk, there was a strong sense that they fully intended to put that right.

The central idea behind both talks was a simple one: that the museum is not just a collection of objects, but a collection of stories. At first glance, our displays can appear eclectic—bonnets, cobles, photographs, tools—but each object is tied to real people, real lives, and real moments in the village’s history. When those stories are brought out, the collection begins to make sense not as a set of things, but as a reflection of the characters and personalities that shaped Staithes.

A special mention should go to our new brochures, printed last September thanks to a grant from the North York Moors. Being able to hand one to every attendee made a noticeable difference. Rather than simply describing where we are and what we do, people left with something tangible—something to remind them of the museum, and (we hope) encourage a future visit.

Notable Visitors to the Museum

March also brought a couple of distinguished visitors through our doors.

We were delighted to welcome the High Sheriff of Whitby to the museum. It is always a pleasure to host visitors with a strong connection to the local area, and an encouraging reminder of the museum’s role in representing Staithes’ heritage more widely.

We were also very pleased to receive Adam Chadwick, author of a new book exploring the Staithes Group of artists. His work sheds light on one of the most fascinating periods in the village’s history, when artists such as Dame Laura Knight and Harold Knight lived and worked in Staithes, capturing its people and landscape.

It is always particularly rewarding to welcome researchers and authors into the museum, and to see our collections contributing—directly and indirectly—to new work being shared with wider audiences.