Masham Gallery

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Masham Gallery Contemporary art and craft centred in Masham, Wensleydale. Passionate about the handmade. Home to artists Josie Beszant & Ian Scott Massie

A welcoming art and craft gallery and shop situated in the beautiful Yorkshire dales market town of Masham.

19/10/2026

Behind the scenes - how we do our chalk windows

19/10/2026

Behind the scenes…how we do our chalk windows!

18/10/2026

Why is there a seemingly random leaf-shaped stone with a swirl on it, standing in the 'sheep-racing field' in Masham? There are other similar carved stones along the River Ure, all part of the Masham Leaves trail, sculpted by Alain Ayres. There are several leaves to discover, each with a different story and reason for being.

Alain got the idea for the sculptures when sitting at 'Sandy Bay' (a distinctive and lovely little spot on the River Ure) watching wind-blown oak leaves scatter and float down river. He liked the idea of showing how a place can unfold at walking pace, how footpaths keep places alive, and enable us to really know a place.

He was shown large slabs of stone piled in the old railway station, previously part of the old platform so using them adds to the local connections.

Two of the leaves form a tiny bridge across a tiny beck at a spot where a light railway used to cross the River Ure to a quarry. The centre of the bridge created by two leaves is the same width as the original light railway gauge. The stone in the photo below is called 'tree' and stands in the field behind the church, a reminder to look at the old saxon cross in the churchyard. It looks down towards the Old Mill.

I'll leave you to discover the other leaves... You can pick up a leaflet showing the route, and explaining the significance of each stone from Visit Masham

A few more birds have found their way into the exhibition room…Alongside Charms and Murmurings, we've brought together w...
17/10/2026

A few more birds have found their way into the exhibition room…

Alongside Charms and Murmurings, we've brought together work by four other ceramic artists whose birds, eggs and curious creations make the room even more wonderful to explore.

Jillian Riley has a particular love of ravens, magpies, mythology and the slightly darker side of nature. Her porcelain creations, inspired by old apothecary bottles, nests and natural curiosities, look as though they might have a story or two to tell.

Helen Rossetti explores myth, memory and transformation through clay, creating sculptural pieces with a wonderfully mysterious quality.

Simon Griffiths makes extraordinary ceramic birds, capturing not just their appearance but something of their character too. You half expect them to turn their heads and look at you.

And Mary Johnson brings her beautifully decorated earthenware, inspired by the feathers.

It's lovely seeing all these different approaches to ceramics sitting alongside the prints, collages and shrines of Charms and Murmurings.

The exhibition room is looking rather splendid, even if I do say so myself.

Come and have a look. There's an awful lot to discover!

Have you ever heard a cuckoo called a GOWK?Gowk is an old name for the cuckoo, a bird surrounded by folklore.Its first c...
16/10/2026

Have you ever heard a cuckoo called a GOWK?

Gowk is an old name for the cuckoo, a bird surrounded by folklore.

Its first call was once eagerly awaited as a sign that spring had truly arrived, and people listened carefully: where you were standing, what you were doing and even how many times the cuckoo called could all be read as signs of the year ahead.

The cuckoo is a bird of change and thresholds, appearing in spring and disappearing again almost mysteriously.

We’ve used the old name Gowk in Charms and Murmurings, where cuckoos, their strange habits and the stories gathered around them appear in several of the works.

A wander around Masham after closing the gallery, making the most of the last of the daylight.The light was gorgeous, ca...
15/10/2026

A wander around Masham after closing the gallery, making the most of the last of the daylight.

The light was gorgeous, catching the leaves and turning them gold. Beech masts crunching underfoot, conker shells scattered everywhere, and the trees beginning to look decidedly autumnal.

And then, amongst it all, a buttercup! Still flowering away in the middle of October, apparently unaware that summer is over.

The evenings are drawing in now, and the lights are coming on in the windows around town. I rather like this time of year.

A few things that caught my eye on the way home.

What is it about birds that makes us wish we could borrow some of their extraordinary qualities?Josie Beszant is the thi...
14/10/2026

What is it about birds that makes us wish we could borrow some of their extraordinary qualities?

Josie Beszant is the third artist behind Charms and Murmurings. Based in Masham, she works with collage, found objects and collected fragments, bringing together her fascination with folklore, storytelling and the meanings we attach to things.

For this exhibition, Josie has been exploring the curious space between humans and birds. Our longing to fly, to transform ourselves, to see the world from another perspective, or perhaps to escape the limitations of being human altogether.

Her work includes masks, wings, eggs and some rather strange creatures that seem to be neither entirely bird nor entirely human. Drawing on old stories, myths and superstitions, she creates pieces that are part curiosity, part imagined relic, and sometimes just a little unsettling.

You'll find Josie's work alongside that of Hester Cox and Charlotte Morrison in Charms and Murmurings at Masham Gallery.

Come and explore. There's plenty to discover, and not everything is quite what it seems.

People sometimes assume an art gallery is somewhere you need to spend hundreds of pounds. So, what could you actually ta...
11/10/2026

People sometimes assume an art gallery is somewhere you need to spend hundreds of pounds. So, what could you actually take home from Masham Gallery for under £30? Here are a few ideas for you...

Look closely at Charlotte Morrison’s ceramics and you might find clues to exactly where her birds belong…Charlotte is on...
10/10/2026

Look closely at Charlotte Morrison’s ceramics and you might find clues to exactly where her birds belong…

Charlotte is one of the three artists behind Charms and Murmurings. Based near Bedale, she takes much of her inspiration from the birds, landscape and changing seasons of the Yorkshire Dales.

Place is woven right into her work, with maps and references to particular locations appearing amongst the birds and decorative details.

For this exhibition, Charlotte has brought together her love of the natural world and her fascination with British bird folklore, creating hand-built shrines, beautifully decorated porcelain plates, eggs and feathers. Her work also draws on medieval imagery and the Arts and Crafts tradition, giving these old stories a wonderfully distinctive character.

Here she is with some of her work in Charms and Murmurings at Masham Gallery. Do come and have a closer look. There are all sorts of details to discover!

Oh and don't forget er have a talk about the exhibition this Sunday at 1.30pm. At the time of writing there are 3 free places left!

Meanwhile elsewhere in Masham Gallery....You could be forgiven for thinking that absolutely everything in Masham Gallery...
09/10/2026

Meanwhile elsewhere in Masham Gallery....

You could be forgiven for thinking that absolutely everything in Masham Gallery currently has feathers.

It doesn't!

Whilst admittedly we've been rather consumed by birds, folklore, eggs, ravens and the occasional skull, the rest of the gallery is still full of paintings, prints, ceramics, glass and all sorts of things made by the artists and makers we work with.

So here's a small reminder that there is life beyond Charms and Murmurings.

Although, to be fair, you may still find the odd bird.

Address

24 Market Place
Masham
HG44EB

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+441765689554

Website

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