Bringing History to Life in Bayleaf Farmstead

The Weald & Downland Living Museum is home to over 50 historic buildings, rescued and relocated to our 40 acre site. These include Bayleaf Farmhouse, Cowfold Barn and Winkhurst Tudor Kitchen. Together, we refer to them as Bayleaf Farmstead as they are collectively displayed as they may have been in South East England in the mid-1500s.

Overseen by Aaron Baker, Domestic Life Interpreter at the Museum, the Farmstead volunteer team not only share their knowledge of Medieval and Tudor life, but also demonstrate how people may have lived and worked within the farmstead buildings, gardens and orchard.

Aaron comments: “I’ve always loved the 16th century; the transition between the end of the Medieval world and the Modern, with the Age of Exploration and the discovery of new food stuffs. Alongside this, the conflicts of the Reformation and the beginning of the religious wars make for an “interesting” historical interpretation, although perhaps not for those living through it.

On a more local level, interpreting how the inhabitants of Bayleaf Farmstead might have lived is equally fascinating, particularly in the kitchen, which like today is very much the heart of the house. In winter months, the fire would have been a draw for family and household alike, to gather around and pause during a hard day’s work.”

In Winkhurst Tudor Kitchen, the Museum team demonstrates a variety of kitchen activities, including cooking throughout the seasons. Through the early part of the year, known as the Hunger Gap and into Lent, our team demonstrate how food was scarce and the various ways it was made to last. Once dairying season is over and the summer crops are harvested from the Museum fields, orchards and gardens, our kitchen team set to work recreating many of the dishes known to have been eaten at the time. Moving into autumn, focus shifts to preserving food to feed the farmstead through the winter months, and are team can be seen demonstrating pickling, preserving, salting and smoking techniques.

“Weald & Downland Living Museum has the largest working team of costumed kitchen interpreters in the UK at present. Their work in the 16th century kitchens is second to none. They not only make Tudor food using period equipment in a period building, but they do so following the farming year. They are not prescriptive but will learn and adjust the recipes to suit the needs of a Yeoman Farmer and the ingredients available to a farmer of that status. They produce ingredients for further use – cheese, butter, bacon, ale etc.”

As part of the Museum interpretation in Bayleaf Farmstead, the team has been hosting a series of immersive interpretation days, with the next one at our Flower Power weekend on the 22 and 23 June. The team will be showing how the Yeoman farmer and his family might have celebrated the warmest time of the year. The longer days and balmy evenings were a time to relax, put aside differences and eat, drink and make merry before the hard work starts again with harvest and preparations for the winter ahead.

We will be hosting more dates during the second half of the year, where visitors can enjoy a similar experience as Bayleaf Farmstead is brought to life. These demonstration days will include:

The Feast Day of Saint Margaret of Antioch, the patron saint of childbirth and pregnant women on Saturday 20 July.

The Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary on the 15 August. Assumption Day commemorates the belief that when Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, died, her body was assumed into heaven to be reunited with her soul.

On Sunday 29 September, Michaelmas or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, signifies the end of the harvest, the start of autumn and the beginning of shorter days.

On Saturday 2 November we will be celebrating Hallowtide. Hallowtide collectively refers to the days of All Hallow’s Eve, All Hallows Day and All Soul’s Day. This was a time for praying for the saints and also for the recently departed.

Finally, we will mark St Andrew’s Day, the feast day of Andrew the Apostle, on Saturday 30 November.