Try a Trade

Help us keep our heritage crafts alive as we host two days of activities especially for children to ‘Try a trade’ as they explore our Museum heritage trades and crafts.

 

Children will become our Junior Apprentices and be given a Certificate in Heritage Crafts and Skills once they have tried their chosen trades. Who knows, we might inspire a future carpenter, smithy or miller? We certainly hope so!

Over the two days families can have fun exploring our historic buildings around our 40 acres and can take part in the following free activities which will include:

Have a try (age 8+)

• Be a carpenter – learn about the wooden planes in the Carpenter’s Shop.
• Be a sawyer – can you operate our 2 person saw on our sawbuck?
• You nailed it! – Help us create something special as you can hammer your own nail into our Museum logo.
• Brace yourself! – Learn how to use a brace and drill to drill holes to make a bee and bug hotel.

Have a go:

• Make a braid using a lucet
• Learn how to cordage
• Learn the art of carding wool.

Visit our Trades & Crafts Recruitment Stand!

Ove the two days, we will also be hosting a selection of special trades and crafts for children to have a go at, these are more specialist so will be limited in number and operate on a first come basis on each day.

To enable us to provide this unique opportunity to have a go, these activities will have a small fee per activity. This fee helps to cover the cost of materials and to enable us to further support our learning activities at the Museum.

Special trades and craft activities:

• Be a Potter – Make your own clay coaster £1.50 (100 spaces per day)
• Be a Baker – Make & bake a bread roll in our onsite bakehouse £1.50 (100 spaces per day)
• Be a Dairymaid or Dairyman – Have a go on the butter churn and make a small butter pat to take home. £1.50 (100 spaces per day)
• Be a Miller – Weigh out and bag your own flour to take away and have a go on the quern. £1.50 (100 spaces per day)
• Be a Blacksmith – Where you can make a hook in our Museum forge £4.00 (12 spaces per day, age 8+)

Please note these activities are suitable for age 4+ unless otherwise stated.

 

As the spaces are limited in number, to allow as many children to have a go each child will be able to book a maximum of three trades. It will be on a first come first serve bases, so if you would like to have a go at these additional skills, we recommend you arrive early to choose and book from the spaces available on the day. We will not be taking pre-bookings for these activities, they will only be available to book on the day at the Museum ‘Trades & Crafts Recruitment Stand’.

The ‘Trades & Crafts Recruitment Stand’ will be located in our trades and crafts area. Please visit the stand on arrival to book sessions for your children. You are able to visit the whole Museum throughout the day, attending your timed sessions to complete your activities.

Once you have completed your tasks, you can collect your ‘Try a Trade Certificate’ as a souvenir of your visit.

 

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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, Sheep and Ducks. 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.