Relocation of Winkhurst Farm and 
Reinterpretation as a Tudor Kitchen

Introduction

Winkhurst Farm was one of three buildings dismantled to avoid sewage contamination of the Bough Beech reservoir. Its timbers arrived at Singleton in January 1968 - the first building acquired by the Museum - and it was re-erected the following year. It was recorded and analysed by R T Mason and R H Wood and interpreted as "a largely complete and well-preserved example of a small hall house dating around 1370".

In October 1986 a major programme of repairs to the building was carried out, during which various observations were made that enabled to us to propose a completely different interpretation: that it was originally built in the early 16th century (dendrochronological analysis suggests a date in the range 1492-1537) as a kitchen or service block, attached to - and functionally part of - a larger house. Originally it was attached to other structures on its original west and south sides.

Its site on the Museum was inappropriate both in topography; it was set high up on a Downland slope rather than in a low-lying Wealden pasture, and orientation; the building's original east wall was turned to face south at the Museum. We decided that additional structures should be added to the building to represent those to which it was originally attached, but its site precluded this because of the steep slope. We therefore proposed that the only solution was to move it to a more appropriate site. Funding for the project was promised by the Designation Challenge Fund.

The Proposal

Winkhurst will be presented to the public as a Tudor kitchen, fully reconstructed, authentic and operational. It will complement Bayleaf Farmhouse, in that Bayleaf probably had an attached or detached kitchen in the 16th century which has not survived. Winkhurst can therefore fill an important gap in our interpretation of Tudor domestic life and enhance Bayleaf, which is furnished and interpreted to a date of around 1540.

The new site was formerly in use as a pig yard, on the north side of the site road opposite Bayleaf Farmhouse. It is surrounded by mature high hedges and planting, except for a 20 foot gap on the south side, and therefore is a ready-made "green display case". In it, Winkhurst will be correctly orientated and small modern extensions will be added to its west and south sides: the Tudor kitchen will again be part of a larger building complex, making it easier for visitors to understand.

The modern extension on the west side will be a twenty-foot square room, separated from the Tudor kitchen by a broad entry passage, reflecting the probability that this was the original medieval arrangement. The room will be used to house an exhibition on medieval and Tudor food production, preparation, cooking and eating, based on vivid illustrations from 15th and 16th century manuscripts. In size the extension reflects the wing that was attached to the west wall of Winkhurst when it was dismantled, but which was unfortunately discarded without a survey as it was thought to be much later and therefore irrelevant to the building being saved.

The modern extension on the south wall (gable end) is a small "token" to indicate the former existence of a building pre-dating the Tudor kitchen in this position, but it has an important interpretative function: the south wall of Winkhurst originally had no infilling studs or panels, and relied on the wall of the earlier building. This relationship can be re-established with the modern extension. It will be used as a modern kitchen (closed to visitors) in which the public health and hygiene requirements of food preparation and storage can be satisfied, and thus support the operation of the Tudor kitchen.

The design and choice of materials for modern extensions at the Museum has been carefully considered. Extensions to Crawley Hall in the Museum's village group were clad in tile hanging, reflecting their urban character, while small additions to Longport Farmhouse are in oak weatherboarding. For these extensions to Winkhurst we have chosen to use vertical boarding in cedar, a high quality and attractive material but without strong "echoes" of particular historical periods. The cedar will weather to silver grey and, with the hand-made peg-tile roofs, will be very attractive. The exhibition room will have an upper level "clerestory" window of hit-and-miss boarding with internal glazing, while the modern kitchen will have a small single-light casement window in the boarding, and a stable door with a glazed upper half.

In the entrance passageway there will be a wall-mounted display telling the story of Winkhurst and explaining the reconstruction. The modern extensions will feature "sustainable" insulation materials and a "breathing" wall construction that will also be explained in a small display. All in all we expect this renewed exhibit to introduce a strong new centre of interest onto the Museum site.

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