Marie Hartley and Joan Ingilby created the collection and founded the Museum in 1979. The original Museum was housed in the former goods warehouse of Hawes station. Hartley and Ingilby aimed to capture life in the Yorkshire Dales before it disappeared.
In the Hartley and Ingilby gallery you can explore the mining and knitting industries, discover the crafts once found in each Dales village and follow the farming story from field to farmhouse
Mining Display
Follow the history of lead mining and quarrying in the Dales. Discover the mystery of Buckden Bill and find out more about the lives of lead miners.
Textiles Display
The hand knitting industry was significant in the Yorkshire dales. See our fascinating collection of knitting sticks, each one unique and personal. Every home needed textiles to give warmth and comfort and we exhibit historic examples of rag rugs and quilts made in the Dales. You can also see contemporary hangings and textiles created with a contemporary twist.
Farming Display
Learn about the history of farming in the Dales. See the back cans that farmers would use to carry milk from the field to the farmhouse, discover the importance of sheep farming and the significance of hay meadows.
Dales Kitchen Display
This display represents an early 19th century traditional kitchen found in the Dales. Discover the kitchen equipment of the day and find out about oatcake making. Discover how milk was used to boost income on the farm through cheese and butter making.
Makers and Menders Display
Dales villages were self sustaining. In each village, skilled craftspeople produced essential items. Families often specialised in a craft for several generations. Trades included blacksmiths, tinsmiths, joiners, shoemakers and cobblers, clockmakers and more. See reconstructed tinsmiths, other craftsmen’s tools and the many objects that they crafted on display.
