RECREATING A TUDOR MARKET DAY

Saturday 25th and Monday 27th August 2007

Weald and Downland Open Air Museum

Visitors to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester will have an opportunity to discover more about daily life in Tudor times this Bank Holiday Saturday and Monday. The Museum of historic buildings will be recreating a fascinating Tudor Market scene, complete with market stalls, street traders, street entertainers, authentic Tudor fare and much more.

The Museum is home to over 45 historic buildings which have been rescued from destruction and rebuilt on a beautiful 50 acre downland site, bringing to life the homes, farms and workplaces of the south east over the past 500 years. The Museum’s Market Square complete with period buildings including historic shops and a market hall is the ideal location for re-creating the bustling market scene, which will include a painters shop making authentic period pigments, a tailors, a basket weaver, a blacksmith and trinket sellers. Costumed street entertainers are sure to delight onlookers, and a deer will be roasted as an authentic example of Tudor dining ‘al fresco’!

Goods will not be on sale to the public, but visitors will be able to watch and learn, and will be free to talk to the demonstrators about this exciting insight into Tudor life. The Museum is running the event in conjunction with The Tudor Group, an historical interpretation society concentrating on the later Tudor period, who provide support for a number of Museum interpretation activities. Through enthusiastic demonstrations and talks, The Tudor Group aims to illustrate some of the ordinary facets of life during this fascinating period.

The cooks in the Museum’s authentic Tudor kitchen will also be hard at work over the Bank Holiday weekend, preparing authentic recipes for visitors to sample and enjoy. The Museum’s beautiful site in the South Downs is a wonderful place to visit over the holiday weekend, with over 45 original historic buildings, a working 17th century watermill, woodland walks, a picturesque lake, picnic areas and Shire horse at work at seasonal tasks.

The activities during the Tudor Market Day run from 10.30am until 5pm, and the Museum is open to 6pm. Admission charges are: adults £8.25, over 60s £7.25; children £4.40, family ticket £22.65. Group rates are also available. The Museum is open daily throughout the year until 23 December.

Background information

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established schools programme, and an adult learning programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts. There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes. The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

Note to editors: Reporters and photographers welcome. For further information and photographs contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer on 01243 811363, fax 01243 811475, email marketing@wealddown.co.uk . Further details about the Museum and its activities are also available on the Museum information line on 01243 811348, or at www.wealddown.co.uk . For more information on the Tudor Group, visit www.tudorgroup.co.uk

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts.  There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes.  The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. For further information call the Museum information line on 01243 811348 or contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer

Tel: 01243 811014.
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: marketing@wealddown.co.uk.

Full details about the Museum and its activities can be found at www.wealddown.co.uk 

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