About
Southburn Archaeological Museum is a volunteer-run archaeological collection near Nafferton, close to Driffield, displaying over one thousand finds excavated from the Yorkshire Wolds and spanning an extraordinary chronological range from the Neolithic period through to Medieval times. The museum takes its name from Southburn Farm, the original findspot from which many of the collection's key discoveries were recovered, and although the museum itself relocated to premises near Nafferton around 2016, it has retained the Southburn name in recognition of its origins and the site that gave rise to the collection.
Formally opened in July 2008, the museum was established to house and display the results of many years of archaeological fieldwork and finds recovery across the Yorkshire Wolds, an area of chalk upland with a rich prehistoric and early historic archaeological record. Among the collection's most notable individual pieces are an ancient spear discovered by local schoolchildren, an Iron Age pot recovered from Arram, and Viking gold, each object representing a distinct chapter in the long span of human activity across the Wolds landscape that the museum's collection as a whole seeks to document.
The museum is run entirely by volunteers with genuine archaeological expertise and personal investment in the collection, many of whom have been directly involved in the fieldwork and excavation that produced the finds on display, giving visitors access to a depth of first-hand knowledge about individual objects and their archaeological context rarely available at larger, more institutional archaeology museums. This volunteer character also shapes the museum's access arrangements, which are genuinely limited to appointment-based visits and publicised open days rather than standard year-round opening hours.
For archaeology enthusiasts and visitors with a specific interest in the prehistoric and early historic Yorkshire Wolds, Southburn Archaeological Museum offers a rewarding and unusually detailed visit, its collection of over a thousand finds spanning Neolithic through Medieval periods representing a significant and locally rooted resource for understanding the long human history of this distinctive chalk upland landscape.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Check the museum's website for publicised open days or contact volunteers directly, as there is no standard weekly public opening.
- Book well in advance if you have a specific research interest, as volunteers can offer detailed context on individual finds given advance notice.
- Note that the museum is located near Nafferton, not at the original Southburn Farm site from which it takes its name.
- Ask about the museum's 2016 relocation and its ongoing connection to the Southburn Farm origins of the collection.
- This museum will particularly interest visitors with a background or specific interest in archaeology and Yorkshire Wolds prehistory.
- Bring cash for any donation, as card payment facilities may not be available.
- Combine your visit with a wider exploration of the Yorkshire Wolds landscape, given the museum's focus on the area's archaeological record.
Highlights
Over 1,000 Archaeological Finds
The museum's core collection comprises more than a thousand archaeological finds recovered from the Yorkshire Wolds, spanning the Neolithic period through to Medieval times, offering visitors an unusually comprehensive chronological sweep of the region's human history in one small, dedicated collection.
The Southburn Farm Origins
Many of the museum's key finds were originally recovered from Southburn Farm, the site that gives the museum its name, and interpretation explains the archaeological significance of this original findspot even though the museum itself has since relocated to premises near Nafferton.
The Ancient Spear Found by Schoolchildren
Among the collection's most notable individual objects is an ancient spear discovered by local schoolchildren, a find that connects the museum's archaeological record directly to the local community and its ongoing engagement with the area's buried history.
The Arram Iron Age Pot
An Iron Age pot recovered from Arram forms a significant piece within the collection, illustrating the material culture and pottery traditions of Iron Age communities in the Yorkshire Wolds.
Collections
Southburn Archaeological Museum holds over one thousand archaeological finds from the Yorkshire Wolds, spanning the Neolithic period through to Medieval times, including a notable ancient spear, an Iron Age pot from Arram, and Viking gold. Originally associated with Southburn Farm, from which many key finds were recovered, the museum formally opened in July 2008 and relocated to its current premises near Nafferton around 2016, retaining the Southburn name in recognition of its origins.
The collection is maintained and interpreted by volunteers with direct archaeological fieldwork experience.
The Yorkshire Wolds Through Time
A chronological display of finds from the Neolithic through to Medieval periods, recovered from Southburn Farm and the wider Yorkshire Wolds.
Notable Finds
A focused display of the collection's most significant individual objects, including the schoolchildren's spear, the Arram Iron Age pot and Viking gold.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.