Come and visit our friendly cafe for a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea, and browse in our Museum shop to find unusual and unique souvenirs of the area.

The Museum shop sells:

Local Rocks, Minerals and Fossils
* Samples of galena, calcite, fluorite ...
* Crinoids, shells, ferns...
* Hag stones, St Cuthbert’s beads and Devil’s Toe-nails!

Books including
* Swaledale Museum Publications (see below for downloadable order forms)
* New books on lead Mining, local and family history,and poetry
* Second hand books on local subjects,plus general paper and hard backs

Printed ephemera including
*Old Postcards including mint condition Valentine cards of Swaledale c.1930-50s)
* Old Maps and engravings

Cards including
* One -off hand-made cards for special greetings incorporating old stamps, cigarette cards, postcards, maps, old advertising, buttons, lace

Haberdashery and craft materials, including
*Patchwork packs, antique lace & ribbon, and a large collection of vintage buttons, old linen, lavender bags, old embroidery & knitting patterns
* Items made by the members of our Knitting Cafe (sponsored by Spectrum Yarns)

Jewellery made from antique buttons and beads
* Earrings on silver earwires
* Fabric brooches

* Bric-a-brac, soaps, traditional wooden toys, peg doll kits, and lots more ..... stock always changing

We are happy to receive orders by by mail and ‘phone.

Mail Order Bookshop

Mining and Miners in 19th Century Swaledale & Arkengarthdale By Alan Mills £5.99 plus p&p Order.

Mining and Miners in 19th Century Swaledale & Arkengarthdale will be of interest to those wishing to gain some knowledge and understanding of the mining heritage of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale. The evidence of centuries of lead mining is clearly visible in spoil heaps, the entrances to disused mines and in the ruins of smelt mills scattered across the region. This booklet is a readable introduction to the subject, which intrigues so many visitors to this part of the Yorkshire Dales. The illustrated booklet comprises 72 pages in 10 chapters and addresses the following topics: Where the lead ore came from, Mining practices, Dressing the ore, Smelting, Roles, A 19th century mining family, Wages and incomes, Cost of living, Life expectancy, The decline of lead mining. The appendices include a Glossary of Terms.

Old Fashioned Household Hints and Tips By Jenny Curtis £3 plus p&p Order.

The first of a series of small booklets taken from material found in the Swaledale Museum. All were found in books, which had been recycled – one was a book of sermons which had been covered by clippings from the local newspaper’s woman’s page from some considerable time ago. How many uses are there for a lemon? Find just a few in this book! Lots of laundry hints from bygone days and many herbal remedies for some common complaints are included too. 24 pages

Old Fashioned Beers, Wines and Beverages By Jenny Curtis £3 plus p&p Order.

The second book taken from the recycled volumes found in the Swaledale Museum. There are many recipes for wines – Elderberry, elderflower, dandelion to name the most popular. There are different recipes for the same wines. Have hours of fun brewing and trying them all. (In case of emergency, Alcoholics Anonymous can be contacted on the number in your local telephone directory – if you can still read print that small!) For the more sober members of society, try some of the cordials you can make from ingredients you can pick locally and for free! Sample the delights homemade beer made with natural ingredients in the old fashioned way. Say goodbye to E numbers! 24 pages

Swu’adle By Veronica Sarries £4.50 plus p&p Order.

An examination of local dialect words, based on interviews from people in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, bringing Captain Harland’sGlossary up-to-date. Essential reading for anyone interested in dialect and language.

Musings. Poems for the Swaledale Museum,Reeth By Chris Considine, 2008 £3 plus p&p Order.

The fruit of Chris Considine’s writer-in-residency in the Museum 2007/2008. Twenty-two evocative and thought-provoking poems over 28 pages covering subjects such as’The Power of Silent Objects’, ‘A Morning with Captain Harland’,’Living in the Vernacular’ and ‘The Spinsters and the Knitters in the Sun’.

Occasional Papers on the Mines of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale By John Hardy, 2008 £4.50 plus p&p Order.

A selection of John Hardy’s articles first printed in the Reeth and District Gazette, including ‘Just an Old Railway’, ‘The Sun Hush Dam’, ‘That Other Engine’, ‘The Long Race’, ‘Eldorado’, ‘Strange Events at the Sloate Hole Mine’, ‘An Urgent Inclination’ and ‘Farewell to All That’. This book was in preparation at the time of John’s death in February 2007, and this volume was made possible by an anonymous donation. It is in A4 format, 27 pages, 5 colour illustrations, 7 maps.

The History of your House in Upper Swaledale:The Owners and Occupiers with an example from Green Sike By Timothy B. Bagenal, 2008 £4.50 plus p&p Order.

Ths book is intended to help people research the history of their houses in Swaledale. Using a case study, Timothy Bagenal covers a range of sources, including The Registry of Deeds, 1910 Valuation Act, Copyhold Tenure, The Upper Swaledale Manors, the Tithe Apportionment, Land Tax Assessments, as well as other supporting evidence including the Valuation of Lands and Tenements in the Township of Melbecks 1832, Parish and Non-Conformist Registers,Censuses, Dr Kernott’s Case Books and Wills. An essential practicalguild for anyone interested in vernacular building and local house history. 36pages, with bibliography.

The Methodists of Swaledale & Arkengarthdale and their Chapels By John Hardy, 2007 £4.50 plus p&p Order.

Six articles on the subject of local Methodism first published in the Reeth and DistrictGazette 2000-2001. These personal reminiscences focus on Gunnerside Chapel, Reeth Methodists, Arkenarthdale Methodists, Hurst Chapel, Low Row and Level House.They combine an historical overview with memoriesof John’s time as a Methodist Minister in the Dale, 38 pages with bibliography and chronology, 11 colour pictures, 6 b/w, and 1 map.