Michaelmas, the feast of St. Michael and All Angels, was one of the most important festivals in the medieval English calendar. Falling on the 29th of September, it marked both…
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Culture is built on the practices and characteristics that make a place unique. For thousands of years and countless generations, humans have always crafted. Whether it be art or practical…
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…
As part of our collection here at the Museum, stands the Joiners’ Shop from Witley. While a fascinating building in its own right, the Joiners’ shop also gives us an…
Toys have long played a vital role in the lives of children, providing not only entertainment but also education, socialisation, and development. Across history, the materials, design, and purpose of…
From age-old legends of ghostly processions to the rustic charm of shepherd songs echoing across sheep-filled hillsides, West Sussex hums with echoes of its folkloric past. Especially in the Weald…
Step into the fragrant, fire-warmed Winkhurst Tudor kitchen at the Weald & Downland Living Museum, and you might just catch a whiff of something brewing traditional 16th-century beer. With smoke…
In 1983, a quiet yet transformative initiative took root at the Weald & Downland Living Museum – one born not from blueprints or brickwork, but from soil, seed, and a…
How do you herald in the summer? What traditions mark the changing of the seasons? For thousands of years, the beginning of summer was marked by the Summer Solstice. …
Among the many threads woven through the tapestry of Elizabethan England, few were so critical to the fabric of daily life as the maintenance of law and order. In a…
Tucked within the folds of the wooded Weald, a quiet but fiery art once powered an entire industry. Charcoal burning – a craft both elemental and profound – has long…
As soon as the leaves start to change colour, and the blanket of them begins to crunch under foot, our minds usually turn to Halloween. This is the night where,…
