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Arctic expressions
A new British Museum Partnership Exhibition, opening this month at Kirkleatham Museum in Redcar, Yorkshire, explores the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in North America’s Arctic regions, Alaska and Canada. Arctic Expressions examines the challenges of living in these landscapes, as well as their spiritual significance and sources of artistic inspiration.
Combining historical items and contemporary creations, the displays include 15 items from British Museum collections, among them a wooden seal decoy helmet (below) made by the North-west Coast Peoples of Alaska and collected during Captain Cook’s final voyage to North America; lithographs by the acclaimed Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak (1927-2013); and Nunavut soapstone carvings by Paul Toolooktook (1947-2003).
Arctic Expressions runs from 7 June until 28 September 2025; see http://www.britishmuseum.org/arcticexpressions for more information.
Britain’s largest-known Iron Age gold coin hoard acquired by Museum of Chelmsford
The largest hoard of Iron Age gold coins ever recorded in Britain has been acquired by the Museum of Chelmsford in Essex, and will go on public display next year.
Dating to c.60-20 BC, the Great Baddow Hoard comprises 933 coins, which are thought to have been mostly produced in a region associated with the Catuvellauni people. They had been buried, however, within the traditional territory of their neighbours, the Trinovantes, which Museum of Chelmsford Curator Claire Willetts suggests might reflect local upheaval relating to Julius Caesar’s second invasion of Britain in 54 BC.
The precise context of the hoard’s burial is unknown, as it was discovered in 2020 by a metal-detectorist who was searching private land without the landowner’s permission, and who did not initially declare his find. He was subsequently found guilty of offences under the 1996 Treasure Act at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court. Following a formal coroner’s inquest, and thanks to a £250,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the hoard has now been acquired by the Museum of Chelmsford. It will feature in a temporary exhibition in summer 2026, before going on permanent display in spring 2027.
Major Viking exhibition to open in York
A significant new exhibition telling the story of the Viking Age in the north of England is set to open at the Yorkshire Museum in York next month.
Combining diverse artefacts drawn from the museum’s own collections, as well as regional and national loans, Viking North will open on 11 July. Its displays will cover five themes: ‘Viking Great Army invasions’, ‘From Yorkshire to the World: International Links’, ‘Making of Viking Age England: Danelaw and Jorvik’, ‘Hammer, Cross, Beasts and Dragons: Objects and Art’, and ‘Change and Continuity: Yorkshire and the North’. Visitors will be able to see famous finds such as the York Helmet and the Vale of York Hoard, as well as recent discoveries including a unique Thor’s hammer pendant. Other highlights include a silk cap from Coppergate, and a 12th-century seal reflecting continued Scandinavian influences long after the Norman Conquest.
Viking North will run until 2027; for more information, see http://www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/exhibition/viking-north.
New exhibitions
Gladiators of Britain
Northampton Museum & Art Gallery
Until 7 September 2025
http://www.britishmuseum.org/gladiators and http://www.northamptonmuseums.com/directory-record/506
A Right Royal Heist
Lincoln Cathedral
Until 31 July 2025
http://www.lincolncathedral.com/events/exhibition-a-right-royal-heist
Woven Through Time: Bradford’s Textile Industry – Past and Present
Bradford Industrial Museum
Until 16 November 2025
http://www.bradfordmuseums.org/event/woven-through-time-bradfords-textile-industry-past-and-present
A Twist in the Tale: Part 2
Knaresborough Heritage Centre
Until 20 July 2025
http://www.knaresboroughtownmuseum.org.uk
Last chance to see
Myths and Memories: Renaissance Maps
American Museum & Gardens, Bath
Until 22 June 2025
http://www.americanmuseum.org/exhibitions
Sanctuary!
Durham Cathedral Museum
Until 29 June 2025
http://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/events/sanctuary-durham-cathedral-museum-exhibition
