Leaks from the Yorkshire Museum’s roofs have seen water get into cabinets housing Roman objects, with its future in its current Grade I-listed home at risk according to its operators.
Plans from York Museums Trust lodged with City of York Council stated the museum could be forced to relocate out of the Museum Gardens building if the roof is not fixed.
The museum’s senior curator Dr Andrew Woods said unique objects could be damaged beyond repair if leaks continue and £500,000-a-year in revenue could be lost from the inability to invest.
The trust stated the roof of the building, which dates back to 1830, relied on complicated pipework arrangements which did not allow for overflow or diversions in heavy downpours.
Ad-hoc expansions to the Yorkshire Museum, one of the earliest purpose built museums in the country, has meant the piping has been unable to keep up with increasing capacity.
Water can become backed up in the system if there are any blockages in drains or gulleys and during heavy downpours.
Plans stated the now regular roof leaks were having a detrimental impact on the museum.
The museum houses a number of artefacts from York’s Roman, Viking and Medieval past.
Dr Woods stated there had been a number of near misses in recent years including a pool of water gathering on top of a cabinet housing Iron Age objects.
Water had also run down a case housing a Jurassic Ichthyosaur specimen.
Water has leaked into a case full of Roman objects and into the emergency light in one with burial finds.
The risk of water damage is now so high that it is stopping the museum from loaning out items from its collection and repairing damage is taking up more resources.
The prospect of damage from the leaking roof is also holding investment in the museum’s permanent galleries back.
Dr Woods said the museum was missing out on an estimated 75,000 visitors as a result and the lost revenue could put its financial viability at risk.
The component parts of the museum building are covered by a total of six roofs and plans have been drawn up for each of them.
They involve replacing and widening downpipes and fitting new roof lights, along with installing insulation between existing rafters.
Existing slates will be moved and either reinstated or replaced.
Plans stated that although some historic aspects of the roofs would be altered, the changes were necessary to meet modern requirements and protect the museum.
They added that it was more important than ever to repair the roofs given forecasts that wet and story weather is set to become more frequent as the climate changes.
Plans stated: “Roof leaks have been a recurring theme which could explain the large number of alterations to the existing roofscape.
“If the situation is not improved the museum will continue to suffer, losing visitor interest.
“The eventual risk is that the museum could be forced to relocate out of the building.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel