Weald and Downland Living Museum

Om museet

The Weald and Downland Living Museum grew out of concern in the 1960s that historic timber buildings were being demolished for new development, notably during the building of Crawley New Town. At a conference on timber-framed buildings in October 1965 the local historian Roy Armstrong proposed an open-air museum for the Weald. A committee was formed the following year, and in 1967 Edward James offered a section of his West Dean estate at Singleton as the site. The museum opened to the public on 5 September 1970 with seven exhibits, among them Winkhurst from Kent, a granary, a treadwheel house and a toll house.

Over the following decades, and especially under the first full-time director Chris Zeuner from 1974 to 2001, most of the buildings now on site were carefully dismantled, conserved and re-erected there, together with a large collection of rural life objects. The whole collection has been Designated by the government as nationally important. The museum is an independent charity.

Today the 40-acre site in the South Downs National Park has over 50 buildings, including houses, farm buildings, a watermill, a bakehouse and a Tudor kitchen, set among gardens, farmland and woodland. Staff and volunteers run working demonstrations, and animals including Percheron horses live on site. The museum also offers conservation courses, including two MSc degrees in timber building conservation. The Downland Gridshell building houses a store of museum artefacts. The BBC series The Repair Shop is filmed in Court Barn on the site.

Højdepunkter

• More than 50 historic buildings re-erected in a 40-acre landscape
• Working Lurgashall Watermill and Newdigate bakehouse
• Tudor cooking demonstrations in Winkhurst kitchen
• Percheron horses and other farm animals
• Downland Gridshell with the artefact store
• Woodland trail and sculpture trail

Permanente udstillinger

• Historic buildings collection – More than 50 rescued buildings from south-east England, including houses, farm buildings, a watermill and a bakehouse, re-erected in rural settings.
• Downland Gridshell artefact store – The museum's store of rural life artefacts, housed in the Downland Gridshell building and open to visitors on weekdays from Monday to Thursday.

Grundlagt

1970

Ejer

Weald & Downland Living Museum Trust (registered charity)

Entrépriser & rabatter

Ticket prices depend on season and booking method. Online off-peak (1 November to 29 March): adult 14.90, senior 13.10, student 11.30, child 6.80 pounds; walk-in 16.75, 14.75, 12.75 and 7.75 pounds. Online summer peak (30 March to 31 October): adult 16.90, senior 15.10, student 13.30, child 8.80 pounds; walk-in 18.75, 16.75, 14.75 and 9.75 pounds. Family tickets are 25.80 to 33 pounds (one adult, three children) and 42 to 51 pounds (two adults, three children). Booking online is cheaper and lets visitors choose an entry time. Blue Light and Carer Card holders get 15 percent off admission. Gift Aid can be added to tickets. Annual membership gives unlimited admission.

Tilgængelighed

• Delvis kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator: ingen oplysninger
• Handicaptoilet
• Handicapparkering
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

The 40-acre rural site has mainly gravel and natural paths, some steep or uneven sections and cobbled courtyards; the central area is relatively flat. A step-free accessible route is marked in red on the museum map. The visitor centre, admissions desk, shop and café have level access, with an accessible toilet in the café building. Many historic buildings have steps, narrow doors or uneven floors, and some cannot be entered; interpretation folders are provided instead. Wheelchairs are not available for hire, and wide-tyred wheelchairs or powered chairs and four-wheel scooters are advised. A drop-off point is outside the main entrance and disabled parking is in the main car park to the left of the gate. Assistance dogs are welcome. Visitors can contact the museum to arrange a quieter visit.

Børn og familie

Velegnet til børn og familier

• Familieomvisninger & workshops
• Interaktive stationer
• Puslerum

The museum describes itself as a hands-on place for all ages, with traditional games in Hambrook Barn, farm animals, a woodland trail and a mill where visitors can try milling with a hand quern. Family activities are held at half term, Easter and in the summer holidays, and Dinky Dragon's Toddler Club for ages 2 to 4 runs on selected term-time dates. Baby changing facilities are in the café building and near Reigate House Extension.

Transport & parkering

The museum is on Town Lane in Singleton, 7 miles north of Chichester, off the A286 Chichester to Midhurst road. what3words: presenter.bricks.prep. Cyclists can use the Centurion Way route from Chichester and secure bikes at the rack in the main car park.

Service & spisesteder

• Café
• Museumsbutik
• Wi-fi

Free Wi-Fi is available to café customers. The Waterside Café overlooks the millpond and serves breakfast, light lunches, hot lunches until 15:00, cakes and ice cream, and can be used without a museum ticket; seasonal refreshment huts sell takeaway food. Outside food may not be brought into the café, but picnic benches are around the grounds. Dogs are welcome in a dog-friendly section of the café.

Arrangementer & udlejning

• Lokaler til leje
• Private fester
• Firmaarrangementer
• Bryllupper / vielser

Historic and modern spaces, from the 15th-century Crawley Hall to the Sargent Room, can be hired for meetings, conferences, team-building days, weddings and other celebrations, and the site can be hired for filming and photography.

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