Malton Roman Festival 2026
Step Back 2,000 Years

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Posted on 4th July 2026

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History enthusiasts, families, and day-trippers can experience Roman Britannia firsthand this month as Malton’s dedicated historical celebration returns. Organized by the volunteer team at Malton Museum, the Malton Roman Festival V marks its milestone fifth year on Sunday 19th July 2026.

The single-day event is uniquely staged at Orchard Field, the exact historical footprint of the Roman fort and civilian settlement established around AD71. Operating from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the festival transforms the grounds into an open-air historical hub, combining educational displays, author panels, and a massive interactive living history village.

What’s On at Malton Roman Festival 2026

Living History: The Re-Enactment Village 🛡️🐎

The 2026 event features the festival's largest living history encampment to date, gathering archaeologists and prominent re-enactment groups from across the UK. The displays trace four centuries of shifting Roman military tactics, equipment, and domestic life.

• The Cavalry Unit: Making a headline appearance, The Northern Horse and Equistry present live Roman cavalry demonstrations, showing riders showcasing complex arena maneuvers and field tactics.
• The Encampments: Visitors can explore the camps of Legio VI Victrix, Magister Militum, Eburakon, and the Longthorpe Legion.
• The Ancient Britons: Representing the local population of the era, the Brigantes of Wincobank Hill demonstrate traditional tribal crafts including period-accurate woodworking, leatherwork, and metal forge work.
• The Temple: The village also includes a recreated Mithraic temple, reflecting the spiritual history of the legionnaires.

Interactive Archaeology & Family Zones 🏺🎨

Rather than just displaying artifacts, the festival offers visitors hands-on opportunities to interact with regional heritage:.

Hands-On Archaeology

Local groups—including MAP Archaeology, the York Roman Bath Museum, and York University—host specialized research stands. Visitors can try their hand at cleaning, processing, and sorting genuine local archaeological finds, or try using professional geophysics equipment to survey the buried history beneath Orchard Field. Sylvan Kin is also providing live axe-throwing and plumbata (Roman lawn darts) throwing experiences..

Kids' Training Encampment

Designed to keep children engaged throughout the day, the youth zone includes:

• The Shield Painting Station: A popular return feature where kids can paint and decorate their own wooden swords and shields.
• The Crafts Tent: New interactive workshops for 2026 include crafting laurel wreaths and shaping air-dry terracotta clay pots.
• The Kids' Roman Army: Marching drills line up at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM daily, allowing young recruits to join the legionary lines for a full tactical march around the fort boundary.

Photo Gallery

The Talks Tent: Acclaimed Authors & Historians 📚

The festival boasts a dedicated lecture program featuring prominent authors and media historians discussing Roman Britain and the wider ancient world:

• Terry Deary: The globally popular creator of the Horrible Histories series returns to discuss his latest historical work, Revolting: A Riotous History of Rebellions and Revolutions.
• Lindsey Davis: Making her first-ever appearance at the festival, the renowned author of the Marcus Didius Falco Roman mystery series will host an exclusive book signing and Q&A session.
• Dr. Simon Elliott: A regular broadcast expert on television history documentaries and History Hit podcasts, Dr. Elliott will deliver insights into local Yorkshire military networks under Roman rule
• Robin Price: The author of Spartapus hosts animated children's storytelling events complete with his signature historical beatboxing.

The Malton Taverna: Food & Drink 🍕🍷

To complete the festival atmosphere, a curated marketplace of food and drink vendors lines the field, highlighting regional ingredients with a distinct Mediterranean nod:

• The Popina: An authentic Roman fast-food replica stall preparing dishes based directly on ancient recipes.
• The Taverna: Run by Ryedale Vineyard, serving local wines and refreshments.
• Hot Food Vendors: Traditional stone-baked pizzas from The Bistro Guy, Greek street food wraps, fresh arancini rice balls from NorthernSol, and Italian desserts from Leeds-based Casa Mia.

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📅 Essential Information & Planning Your Visit

• 2026 Event Date: Sunday 19th July 2026.
• Opening Times: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Ticket Prices: Adults are £10.00, Teenagers (14–18) are £5.00, and Children under 14 enter completely FREE. Family tickets (covering 2 Adults and up to 4 children under 14) are capped at £20.00. Tickets can be bought in advance on the Malton Museum online shop.
• Event Management: The entire festival is organized and delivered by a dedicated team of community volunteers to support the ongoing preservation efforts of Malton Museum.
• Facilities & Seating: Fully portable toilet units (including accessible options) are situated on-site. Visitors are highly encouraged to bring along fold-out camping chairs or picnic blankets due to limited permanent infrastructure on Orchard Field.
• Terrain & Accessibility: The event is held entirely open-air on Orchard Field, which is an uneven, undeveloped grassy parkland. While generally level, the natural terrain can be bumpy for standard wheelchair users or small-wheeled strollers, especially along the woodier edges of the old fort defenses.

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🚗 Travel and Getting There

Location: Orchard Field, Old Maltongate, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 7DX.

By Train 🚂

Malton Railway Station sits on the main TransPennine line, offering frequent direct trains from York, Leeds, and Scarborough. From the train station, the walk to Orchard Field takes roughly 12 to 15 minutes, cutting straight through the historic town center and heading down Old Maltongate.

By Bus 🚌

Malton Bus Station is located directly adjacent to the train station hub. The town is served comprehensively by the award-winning Coastliner Bus Service, connecting families from Leeds, Tadcaster, York, and Scarborough straight to the event gates.

By Car & Parking 🚗

Malton is situated directly off the main A64 corridor. While there is zero public vehicle parking allowed directly inside the historic perimeter of Orchard Field itself, Malton features several major pay-and-display town council parking options located just a short walk away. The closest options are the Water Lane Car Park and the open-air parking bays around the central Market Place.