Malton to host fifth Roman Festival - with acclaimed authors joining the fun

Taking place on Sunday July 19, the museum is once again welcoming the whole family to its little oasis of Roman Britannia for the day on the site of the old Roman fort.

With an outstanding line-up, it will be Malton Roman Festival’s biggest ever re-enactment village and living history area, where Legionnaires and Roman Britons alike will share their knowledge of life in Malton around 200AD.

The brand-new addition, The Northern Horse, will join the familiar faces of Legio VI Victrix, Eburakon, and more, with military displays tracing fascinating

changes in equipment, special demonstrations from Roman cavalry, breathtaking recreations of Roman entertainment, and food delicacies of Ancient Rome freshly cooked on-site — bringing Roman history to life!

Also, the museum is delighted to welcome two acclaimed authors in the historical field as special guests – Terry Deary and Lindsey Davis.

The creator of Horrible Histories (Deary) first appeared at Malton Roman Festival in 2024, and proved to be widely popular among children and adults alike as he discussed his much-loved Horrible Histories series.

This year, he returns to showcase his latest book, Revolting: A Riotous History of Rebellions and Revolutions.

Author of Roman fiction, Lindsey Davis, whose Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries are admired worldwide, will be welcomed for the first time, making it a rare opportunity to meet one of the genre’s finest writers.

Organiser of Malton Roman Festival, Louise Lewis, said: “The fifth Malton Roman Festival is nearly upon us!

"Held on top of the Roman Fort in Malton, it promises to be a great day out for all the family.”

New children’s activities include terracotta air-dry clay pot making and laurel wreath making, which will be among much-loved shield & sword painting, mosaic making, Roman helmet painting and sorting archaeological finds.

Louise added: “The Kids Roman Army lines up for training at 1pm and 3pm, join the Legion and march around the fort.”

Local researchers, academics, and archaeologists return to share their abundance of knowledge, including MAP Archaeology, York Roman Bath Museum, York University, and the Yorkshire Archaeological & Historical Society.

Recognisable from documentaries and History Hit podcasts with Dan Snow, Dr Simon Elliot, historian, television favourite, and frequent visitor to Malton Museum, will also appear with new stories of ancient Rome and Roman Britain.

Newly-appointed Museum Coordinator, Emily Moore, said: “Working with our wonderful volunteers to bring this vibrant event to life has been a highlight of my short time at the museum.

"I am looking forward to seeing Orchard Field transformed into Roman Malton on July 19.

“Run almost entirely by volunteers, Malton Museum are committed to promoting history and heritage in the locality and invites people of all ages to what promises to be a fun family day out celebrating Malton’s rich Roman history.”

Chairman of Malton Museum, Phil Crabtree, said: “Malton Museum will be holding its very popular Roman Festival again at Orchard Fields on Sunday July 19.

“This family-focused event draws visitors from across North Yorkshire and beyond, and this year will be better than ever with well-known authors Terry Deary and Lindsey Davis talking about their books together with other well-known authors such as Simon Elliott and Robin Price, as well as lots of children-focused activities.

“We are delighted to have the support of Kemps Books, Cllr Lindsay Burr, North Yorkshire Council, Malton & Norton Lions, and Malton Rotary.”

Visit www.maltonmuseum.co.uk for more.