A £1.2 million museum development has been hailed as being of international importance at its launch.

The Harrison Collection at Ryedale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole, is the life’s work of Edward and Richard Harrison who amassed more than 10,000 artefacts over half a century.

At the opening ceremony Eric Knowles, antiques expert and television presenter, said: “What we have here is a collection of international importance. Its great wealth of folk items goes back more than 300 years. It is a collection which will fascinate and educate visitors to Ryedale.”

Among the items is what is believed to be the oldest cricket bat in Britain, dating back to 1770.

Edward Harrison, a retired bank official, built up the collection with his retired farmer brother, Richard, when they lived at Blansby Park, north of Pickering .

Edward said: “We didn’t want to sell the collection after we left the farm and retired to Kirkbymoorside . Presenting it to the Folk Museum seemed the obvious answer.”

The collection consists of thousands of everyday objects over the centuries.

Anthony Clark, chairman of the museum trustees, said the collection now on display was only 40 per cent of the total. The remainder will be featured in two extensions due to be built at cost of £1 million in the future.

“It will be a marvellous asset to Ryedale both economically and educationally,” he said.

“We have had tremendous support from so many people and organisations in terms of donations and encouragement.”

Mr Clark praised local builders, Lumleys for the high standard of workmanship at High Barn which houses the collection adding: “It is a wonderful building.”

He added that the museum’s trustees had played a key part in bringing the ambitious scheme to reality.

The Harrison brothers’ interest in antiques and collecting was inherited from their father.

Edward Harrison said: “At Christmas, instead of being given toys, there was always a box full of small items wrapped in tissue paper that had come from an antique shop in Norton .

“The Castle Museum in York, built around the collection of Dr John Kirk of Pickering, influenced the kind of items we wanted to collect.”

Kevin Simms, director of the folk museum, said the funding for the new venture had come from many trusts and private donations.

He added: “We have also had tremendous support from Ryedale District Council.”

The new collection is expected to attract thousands of additional tourists to the museum which already sees 40,000 visitors each year.