Nestled in the heart of the South Downs National Park, the Weald & Downland Living Museum tells the stories of rural life in South East England, not just through its extraordinary buildings and landscapes – but through the vision of one remarkable man: Roy Armstrong.
The story begins in October 1965, at a conference of the Study Group of Timber – framed Buildings of the Weald. There, a concern was growing: too many historic buildings, even those listed for protection, were being lost to modern development. Among the delegates was Roy Armstrong – historian, educator, and, above all, visionary – who posed a radical idea: what if we saved these buildings, brick by brick, beam by beam? What if we brought them together into a single place, a museum in the open air, where they could tell their stories for generations to come?
Just one year later, in September 1966, Roy convened the first meeting of the Committee for the Promotion of an Open Air Museum for the Weald. Over the following months, potential locations were explored and in December 1968, outline planning permission was granted for a site in Singleton, West Sussex.
The doors officially opened to the public on Saturday, 5 September 1970. The site welcomed visitors with just seven exhibits – but each was rich with history: Winkhurst (when it was first built at the museum, they didn’t have it as a kitchen!) from Kent, a granary from Littlehampton, a treadwheel house from Hampshire, the Toll House from Upper Beeding, a charcoal burners’ camp, a saw pit, and a Saxon weavers’ hut. From that modest beginning, the Museum would grow into one of the most significant centres for historic rural life in the country.
Born in 1902, Roy Armstrong was shaped by the social and political currents of the early 20th century. Educated at Dulwich College and Oxford, he was drawn not only to history but to its power to change lives. During his work with the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), he championed adult education, particularly in rural communities, believing passionately in accessible learning and community engagement.
Roy’s commitment to social history and local identity led him to become a key figure in the Wealden Buildings Study Group, a founder member of the Vernacular Architecture Group, and the historical adviser to the Arundel Museum. His book, ‘A History of Sussex’, became a go-to guide for understanding the region’s heritage.
But it was the destruction of progress – old buildings to make way for Crawley New Town that provided the emotional catalyst for what would become the Weald & Downland Living Museum. As Roy and his colleagues began to document the shocking scale of loss – over 350 historic buildings demolished in Surrey alone between 1951 and 1965 – they knew urgent action was needed.
The idea of a museum of buildings was not without its critics. Detractors questioned the authenticity of removing buildings from their original context. But Roy believed in something deeper: that preserving the very fabric of these homes, barns, shops, and halls would keep their stories alive, and reconnect people with the traditions, craftsmanship, and rural lifeways that shaped their communities.
In 1967, a breakthrough came when artist and philanthropist Edward James offered land from his West Dean estate to help establish the Museum. It was a moment of generosity that changed everything.
Even so, the journey wasn’t easy. The fledgling Museum began with just £11.86 in the bank. But with determination, passion, and a dedicated group of supporters, it steadily grew.
Roy’s contributions were formally recognised in 1972, when he was awarded an MBE. In 1992, the University of Sussex honoured him with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters. He passed away in 1993, but his spirit lives on in every timber frame, in every class taught, and in every visitor who walks through the Museum gates.
In 1998, the Museum dedicated Poplar Cottage, a 16th-century house, as a permanent memorial to the man whose dream became a reality.
Today, the Weald & Downland Living Museum is home to over 50 historic buildings spanning more than a thousand years. From working farmsteads to Tudor kitchens, watermills to Victorian schoolrooms, the Museum brings history to life not just through preservation – but through people, stories, and shared experience.
Roy Armstrong believed that an intimate knowledge of one’s own community could lead to a better understanding of the wider world. His dream was not just to save buildings, but to create a place where the past speaks to the present, and where visitors of all ages can connect with the enduring rhythms of rural life.
We invite you to walk in the footsteps of history. Come and discover the vision that built the Weald & Downland Living Museum and be part of something historic.
