Downland Gridshell Tour
Visit the Museum's
Downland Gridshell
workshop and
store for our collection of over 10,000 artefacts
covering all aspects of rural life. Your guide will explain how this amazing
award-winning structure was built and take you on a tour of the workshops,
with their constantly changing activities, and then through the basement
collection store.
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Tours start daily at
1.30pm. |
Working Tudor Kitchen
Our working kitchen is open daily for
visitors to discover what a farmstead kitchen in 1540 may have looked like
in Tudor England. The kitchen is the hub of activity in any household
with many activities taking place throughout the day. Our
interpretation team runs
Winkhurst
kitchen with that in mind - providing a
variety of seasonal domestic demonstrations throughout the year with the
help of a dedicated team of volunteers. During your visit you may see
the team baking bread in our bread oven, brewing ale in the copper, or
sluicing and scouring the kitchen from top to bottom. All part of a
days work in a Tudor kitchen!
Click for more about
Winkhurst
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Open
daily from 10.30
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Pendean Farmhouse and Dairy
During the traditional dairy season
(May to September) our Museum interpreters present regular demonstrations of
butter and cheese making by hand. Do you know your curds from your
whey? |
Regular demonstrations please check at the entrance to the
Museum for details or phone ahead if you are planning a specific visit |
Working Water Mill
Lurgashall
Mill produces stoneground wholemeal flour used in the Museum café
and for sale. See the ancient machinery in action and talk to the millers.
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Open daily. |
Woodland
Meet the Tamworth pigs either in the sty behind Pendean farmhouse if
she has a litter or watch the pigs
foraging to remove all ground cover, scrub and nettles from an
area of woodland allowing grass to grow under the trees (this
is the traditional way of developing woodland pasture).
The
Woodland Craft Centre is undergoing a transformation during 2008-9 as more
additions are made to the
Timber
Yard and a new demonstration are developed. Come and see the
changes for yourself. |
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Heavy Horses at Work or at
Rest
The
museums heavy horses are used for seasonal agricultural
tasks including ploughing and
harrowing on the traditional strip farming system, carting around the site,
grass cutting and hay making. You can also meet them at the stables.
Click for more about Museum
Livestock.
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Please check on the blackboard outside the stables for details of daily
activities. |
Working Cattle
Two
Sussex breed working cattle are being
trained as draught animals and
may be seen working the
farming strips. Click for more about Museum
Livestock.
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Most days. |
Period Domestic Gardens
Meet our Museum gardener ,Carlotta Holt,
and her team of volunteers working in one of our seven
period gardens. All our gardens are planted and tended to demonstrate
the style and gardening techniques of the period. Discover the
different species of fruit and vegetables the Tudors and Victorians grew in
their gardens. Did you know that herbs have been grown throughout
history as food, medicine and to offer spiritual protection.
These gardens show the development of the domestic garden
from early medieval (Hangleton cottage) through to Victorian (Toll cottage
and Whittaker's cottages)
Click for more about Museum
Gardens
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March to October,
Mondays and Wednesdays.
November to February,
Wednesdays. |
Working Forge
Meet our volunteeer blacksmiths working regularly in our
1900
forge, the Southwater Smithy |
Regular demonstrations but please check at the entrance
to the Museum for details or phone ahead if you are planning a specific
visit. |
Demonstrations of Rural Trades and Crafts
Come and meet a whole range of
craftsmen and women working at the Museum throughout the year. From
pole lathe turners and woodcarvers to traditional quilt makers and lace
makers.
For information about the wide range of
craft and countryside skills courses offered at the Museum
Click here |
Regular demonstrations but please check at the entrance
to the Museum for details or phone ahead if you are planning a specific
visit. |
Lead Working Demonstrations
Discover the history and craft of the plumbing and lead
working trade in our exhibition open all the year round in
Court Barn
in association with the The
Worshipful Company of Plumbers. |
Static exhibition open.
Regular demonstrations but please check at the entrance
to the Museum for details or phone ahead if you are planning a specific
visit. |
Stonemasonry Demonstrations
The craft and heritage of working with stone for
buildings and structures is exhibited in our Stonemasonry exhibition open
all year round in
Court Barn
in association with The
Worshipful Company of Stone Masons. |
Regular demonstrations but please check at the entrance
to the Museum for details or phone ahead if you are planning a specific
visit. |
Glazier
Demonstrations
The art and craft of historic and
contemporary stained and decorative glass making for buildings is exhibited
in
Court Barn
all year round in association with
The Worshipful Company of
Glaziers. |
Regular demonstrations but please check at the entrance
to the Museum for details or phone ahead if you are planning a specific
visit. |
'Getting to
Grips'
Explore our practical hands-on activity
exhibition aimed at younger visitors and their families. Discover
different building materials and methods of construction used throughout the
ages. Housed in a former joinery workshop the activity can also be
booked for school visits. |
Daily |
