Made by Hand – Heritage Crafts & Skills

Help keep our heritage crafts alive!

Did you know that many heritage crafts are at risk of being lost forever?

Join us for our third annual Heritage Crafts event, as we explore heritage crafts & skills from past to present and learn about how we can conserve these skills for our future.

Over the weekend we will be demonstrating some of the many rural crafts and skills practiced at the Museum alongside visiting members of the Heritage Craft Association, who will showcase crafts from the Red List of Historic Endangered Crafts.

There will also be an opportunity to speak to the Museum’s own courses team, to find out more about the traditional trades and crafts courses available at the Museum. You might discover a short course to help you learn a new skill and help keep one of our heritage crafts alive!

Exhibitors will include:

• The Heritage Craft Association.
• The Elizabethan Instrument Maker.
• Traditional Blacksmithing.
• The Worshipful Company of Masons.
• Traditional Hat Making.
• Historic Pin Making and Haberdashery.
• Pewter Spoon Casting.
• Traditional Tin Smithing.
• Woodblock cutting and printing.
• Historic Kilt Making.
• Traditional Clog Making.
• Sussex Trug Making
• Lavant Spinners & West Sussex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.
• Traditional Leaded Stained Glass.
• Willow Weaving.

You can preview the programme here.

Information for Visitors

The Museum’s 40 acres site, historic gardens and buildings are fascinating places to learn about rural history. Visitors can purchase grain from the Museum shop and feed the hungry ducks on the mill pond. Whilst enjoying the great outdoors and fresh air, look out for our working animals, which can include the Heavy Horses. There are a number of lovely woodland trails, including a woodland play area for children to explore.

Why not enjoy breakfast, brunch or lunch at our waterside café?  Visitors can also bring a picnic as there are plenty of picnic areas available on site.  Takeaway refreshments will also be available from our seasonal Shepherd’s Huts located around the Museum.

Dogs on short leads are welcome and there is ample free parking. Please note that the Museum is a no-smoking site. Visitors with access needs are advised to read our accessibility page in advance of their visit.

All activities are subject to change.