Yorkshire Museum of Farming
Feeding the Nation: A Celebration of the Women’s Land Army
Exhibition
 The largest permanent exhibition on the WLA in the country
 Heritage Lottery Funded Project
 Discover the exciting stories of real local women who did
their utmost to help feed the nation during World War II
Highlights:
Listen to Oral histories
See photographs and personal objects
Amazing real documents from the administration of the East
and North Riding of Yorkshire by Miss Winifred Jacob Smith
Watch Yorkshire Film Archive footage of the land army and
other women during the war
Look at recent reunion photographs
Discover objects about all aspects of their farm work.
Hands On activities: from “dress a land army girl” to a trail
following “Lucy the Land Girl” on her journey as a land girl
Teacher Information Pack for
Self Led Visit
About us
We are the only museum in the district specifically dedicated to the
pastoral and arable agricultural history of the Ridings of Yorkshire.
The Museum charts the story of the farm and rural life over the
centuries in a number of ways. Here you can explore how different
crops and breeds of livestock were introduced, learn about how
our Victorian ancestors cooked and cleaned on the farm, and see
for yourself how technology changed farming by comparing
exhibits such as the medieval ‘Caschrom’ or hand plough with an
early 1960s tractor and multi-furrow plough able to cover 5 acres
per day.
Farming has not only provided people with the necessary staples
to live but has generated a wealth of social customs, traditions,
and folklore which have enriched rural communities. Examples of
these include making corn dollies to celebrate the harvest,
ploughing matches, and agricultural shows with displays,
demonstrations, contests and above a chance for a rural
community to gather and celebrate their work at key times of the
year.
Why visit?
The Yorkshire Museum of Farming is an exciting cross-curricular
venue for students from all Key Stages. Onsite your group can
explore galleries and exhibitions which chart the changes in
agriculture over the last 150 years. Here, you can undertake local
history studies, develop your chronological understanding of British
history, view historical machinery, learn about the Land Girls and
see how people have shaped our landscape.
Our onsite learning resources actively support the study of Key
Stages 1-3 History, Geography, Citizenship, English and PSHE.
You can find out more about our onsite programme in the
resources section.
Booking a visit to the Museum
We welcome school groups at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming
and recommend that you book your Self Led visit at least one
month in advance through the Curator:
Tel. 01904 489966 or enquiries@murtonpark.co.uk.
Please state if you wish to book a Home Front Day or Self Led.
For a Self Led Visit - telephone the Curator to book.
An entrance fee of £5 is charged per student, teacher/adult and
carers are free of charge, 1 adult per 10 students, minimum of 4
adults per group.
On your Self Led Visit you will have access to the Yorkshire
Museum of Farming, playground, picnic area, animal enclosures
and lunch space. Please note that unless you have specifically
booked to visit the Danelaw Viking Village , Roman Fort or Home
Front Kitchen, you will be unable to access these areas of the site.
Teachers are encouraged to conduct a free pre-visit assessment of
the site. To do this please contact us on 01904 489966.
We are open from Easter to the beginning of October between
10am and 5pm each day.
Our full address is:
Yorkshire Museum of Farming (& Danelaw Centre for Living
History), Murton Lane, Murton, York, YO19 5UF
For further information please download the Hazard Identification
Sheet and Telephone us to discuss your visit in detail.
What to bring
To make the most of your visit please ensure that your students
dress appropriately for visiting a site which has a lot of outdoor
space. Therefore wet weather clothing and suitable footwear are
recommended. The buildings are not heated.
You may also wish to bring clipboards, pens, pencils, tablet
computers and digital cameras to enhance your visit.
Onsite resources
Exhibition spaces:
Four Seasons: ground floor displays of implements, hands on
activities and dioramas illustrating what was used by farmers in the
different seasons and from 1860’s to 1960’s. Including oral
histories and a film of farmers today. Upstairs (lift access) to
Women’s Land Army exhibition.
Livestock Building: Discover how sheep, pigs, cows and poultry
were farmed from incubators and sheep scales to pig troughs and
milking machines. Also the original Alf White, who created James
Herriot, dispensary, blacksmith’s shop and viewing gallery to the
animals.
Farm Machinery Display: This outdoor display area showcases
tractors, combine harvesters, stationary engines and other
interesting machinery. Including the famous “Buckeyed Trencher”
one of only 3 in the country brought from America during World
War II. (Under restoration).
Look out for the Shepherds Hut, Dovecote, duck pond
and orchard!
Activities:
Nature Trail – this recently set up Nature Trail (quarter of a mile)
takes you around part of the site to view English trees, hedging,
water life and wild life. With a bird hide and a small Nature Den
with stuffed animals and other specimens (space for 5 children at a
time) this is a good introduction to British Wildlife, the majority of
which is found on farm land. (Leaflet available if pre ordered).
Lucy the Land Girl Trail – look out for the information panels
about the land army and the implements they would have used.
Play Area – house, swings and other equipment to let off steam
on! Outside picnic tables and orchard near by.
Facilities
We have a wealth of facilities available to make your school visit
as easy as possible. This includes:
 A bookable indoor lunch space (WLA granary area) that can
hold up to 30 students , or outside in the picnic area.
 An area to leave bags, coats and resources (Near Stubbs
Shop in the WLA gallery)
 Ample toilet facilities including an accessible toilet.
The majority of the site is accessible to all visitors, but a pre-visit is
recommended to assess your needs. Please bear in mind that
much of the outdoor areas are gravelled or crossed via wooden
planks.
We also have a well stocked gift shop and with advanced notice
(at least one week) we can provide goody bags for your students
at a fixed price.
Library and Archive
For smaller groups the upstairs Library (limited physical access) is
available for research. A large library of agricultural books and
publications from 1850’s to 1968’s is available from Victorian
illustrated books to 20th century Farmers Weekly. Cookery books,
Government reports and over 2000 photographs.
Please book via the Curator.
The Women’s Land Army Archive of costume, photographs,
personal stories and ephemera. Files with individual women’s
stories and ephemera, as well as the extensive Miss Jacob Smith
Archive of administrative documents from Newsletters and index
card register to Report Cards and letters are available through
prior arrangement. (Limited physical access).
Please book via the Curator.