Museum bosses in York hope that the city's Museum Gardens WILL be able to stay open during the second lockdown which begins on Thursday.

But all of York's museums and galleries - including York Art Gallery and the Castle Museum - are preparing to close their doors from Wednesday night.

A spokesperson for York Museums Trust said: "The Trust is aware of how important outdoor spaces are for positive wellbeing and we intend to keep York Museum Gardens open for the duration of the lockdown. We are currently asking for an exemption from DCMS (the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) to do so."

The spokesperson said that both the York Castle Museum and York Art Gallery would temporarily close from 4pm on Wednrsday 'in line with the Government’s new national restrictions'.

"We hope that we will be able to reopen both sites in early December, but we will continue to monitor the situation in the coming weeks and follow any new Government guidance," the spokesperson said.

The Yorkshire Museum never re-opened following the first lockdown - although it is hoped it will re-open in the spring.

Staff at York Art Gallery and Castle Museum who work in 'visitor facing roles' are expected to be put on furlough: the government's furlough scheme has been extended for another month.

But the Museums Trust plans to keep sharing its collections and stories online: click here to find out more.

All of the attractions run by York Archaeological Trust - including Jorvik, Barley Hall and Dig - will also close for the duration of the lockdown.

People who have already booked tickets for the period when attractions are closed will be offered alternative times to visit when attractions re-open, a spoksperson said.

"It is frustrating, but it is what it is. There is nothing we can do about it."

Fairfax House, the Georgian museum in Castlegate run by York Civic Trust, will also close during lockdown: as will York Dungeon. The Dungeon says that tickets already booked will remain valid until May 31, 2021.