Our Story
In a formal sense, the Museum dates back to October 1965, as this is when the suggestion of such a place was discussed at a conference of the Study Group of Timber-framed Buildings of the Weald. So many historic buildings, even those listed for protection, were being condemned to make way for new developments.
The Museum founder, Roy Armstrong, suggested creating an “Open air Museum of the Weald”. Within a year, in September 1966, Roy was convening the first meeting of the Committee for the Promotion of an Open air Museum for the Weald and Downland. There were several sites discussed for the location of the Museum, by December 1968 outline planning permission was granted for a site in Singleton, West Sussex.
On Saturday, 5 September 1970 the Museum opened its gates to the public for the very first time. When there were seven exhibits for people to see, including Winkhurst from Kent; the granary from Littlehampton, West Sussex; the treadwheel house from Catherington, Hampshire; the Toll House from Upper Beeding, West Sussex; the charcoal burners’ camp, the saw pit and the Saxon weavers’ hut.
Our Founder – Roy Armstong, MBE
The Museum’s founder, Roy Armstrong, was described by Kim Leslie in the 2010 book about the Museum’s development as “Historian – teacher – visionary”.
Educated at Dulwich College and Oxford, history teaching appointments followed. But against the background of war, unemployment and depression, Roy was led to the Workers Education Association (WEA) for which he became the West Sussex organiser in 1932, eventually coming under the aegis of Southampton University. He was particularly concerned with social issues, extending educational opportunities into rural communities, and town and country planning.
The opening of Worthing Adult Educational Centre in 1948 was one of his landmark achievements. Through his articles, publications and pioneering methods of teaching Roy’s mission was to make knowledge and ideas widely accessible.
He made a home on the outskirts of Storrington, then a focus of intellectualists and idealists. Fundamental to Roy’s all-embracing tolerance was fellowship and sharing. Gradually his work shifted towards teaching local studies, the prelude to Roy Armstrong, the local historian who founded the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum.
He believed that an intimate knowledge of one’s own community led to a better understanding of the wider world. He was appointed historical adviser in the establishment of Arundel Museum in 1963, co-founded the Wealden Buildings Study Group, and became a founder member of the Vernacular Architecture Group. His A History of Sussex (1961), went to four editions.
It was the destruction of medieval buildings to make way for Crawley New Town which was the first trigger setting in motion the creation of the Museum. The idea of a museum was first discussed at a conference on timber-framed buildings of the Weald in 1965, and in the following year a committee was set up to promote and “open air museum of the Weald” (there was no ‘Downland’ at that time). Roy and those he gathered around him were alarmed at the statistics. In Surrey over 350 historic buildings were destroyed between 1951 and 1965.
Threatened buildings were freely available. Some in the worlds of history and museums were sceptical. However, much work went into seeking an appropriate site, and there were a number of false starts, but eventually in 1967 Edward James offered Roy a section of his estate at West Dean where he had set up a foundation to nurture arts and crafts. Money was another challenge: to begin with there was just £11.17s.2d (£11.86) in the bank.
For his dedicated work in founding the museum Roy was made an MBE in 1972, and in 1992 he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letter from the University of Sussex. Roy died in 1993 and in 1998 the Museum re-erected the 16th century smoke-bay house, Poplar Cottage, as a memorial to Roy.
One of the great strengths of the Museum has be the clarity of purpose and determination of a small handful of people, who followed Roy Armstrongs vision.
Chris Zeuner – Museum Director 1974 – 2001
Chris Zeuner was the Museum’s first full-time director & responsible for leading the project’s development for nearly all of its first 30 years. During that time the majority of the historic buildings on site today were carefully dismantled, conserved and re-erected, presented for visitors’ understanding and enjoyment – and saved for the future, along with a significant collection of rural life artefacts. The Museum is one of the few whose whole collection has been Designated for its national importance by the Government.
Born in London to parents who had fled Germany in the 1930s, Chris was educated at Seaford College, Petworth. After two years as a management trainee at the Metal Box Company, he spent four years teaching and became a volunteer at the Museum. He started there full time in 1973, as keeper of crafts and traditional tools, and became director the following year.
Chris found joy in the crafts and trades of the Sussex weald, and shared them with passion and pride. On one occasion, he took a flock of Southdown sheep and a shepherd’s hut to the City of London Guildhall to publicise the launch of the new Association of Independent Museums, of which he became chairman in 1977.
He also developed a vast enthusiasm for heavy horses and introduced them to the Museum as an educational tool.
He was a highly valued vice-president of the Museums Association and president of the European Association of Open Air Museums. Chris was appointed OBE for his services to museums in 1990, he was elected a fellow of the Museums Association in 1997 and received an honorary MA from Southampton University in 1998. Chris passed away in January 2001.
