Wakefield District Council is in talks with the National Trust (NT) about the future of Clarke Hall  educational museum.

The council will support the 17th-century hall until the end of the school summer term. It previously planned to stop funding from 1 April, after the Wakefield Schools Forum decided to withdraw a grant of £242,000.

A council spokeswoman said: “We are exploring all options for the future of Clarke Hall. We have lost the grant from the Wakefield Schools Forum and the council is supporting Clarke Hall until the end of the summer term, so that we can honour school bookings.”

An NT spokeswoman said it was not looking to take over the hall’s running, although it couldn’t rule out a move in the future.

The Grade II-listed hall, which has been used as an education centre since the 1960s, is believed to cost about £300,000 annually to run.

More than 500 people have joined the Save Clarke Hall Museum Facebook group, while 275 people have signed an e-petition on Wakefield council’s website.

The Facebook page states: “As the site delivers unique school visits, Wakefield council must secure its future and prevent a terrible loss to the many schools that include this experience in their curriculum.”