Musée artisanal et rural

About the museum

In 1972 a handful of volunteers began gathering old tools in the former presbytery of Clion, with the agreement of the town council. The association “Les Amis du Temps Passé” was founded in 1975 to present this heritage to the public and to run the museum.

Since 2001, with the help of the Département, the Communauté de communes de la Haute-Saintonge and the commune, members of the association have cleaned and restored more than 2,000 tools. The most fragile pieces are displayed in seven themed rooms, the bulkier ones occupy 300 m² of lean-tos built in early 2008, and others are installed in the park.

The rooms evoke crafts, agriculture, a bistro of old, a wine cellar, a common room, a classroom and a forge. The lean-tos house, among other things, ploughs, a wheelwright’s workshop, the equipment of a travelling butcher, tools for the vineyard and the harvest, sorting machines, a mobile still and a joinery workshop. One section is devoted to the buée, the traditional lye washing. Admission is free.

Highlights

• Seven themed rooms in the former presbytery (forge, bistro, classroom, wine cellar)
• More than 2,000 tools of crafts and farming from the past
• Lean-tos with ploughs, a wheelwright’s workshop and a mobile still
• Park with large machines and tools
• Free visit

Permanent exhibitions

• Les sept salles à thèmes – The rooms evoke crafts, agriculture, a bistro of old, a wine cellar, a common room, a classroom and a forge of times gone by.
• Les appentis – The large tools are shown across 300 m²: ploughs, a wheelwright’s workshop, tools for the vineyard and harvest, sorting machines and a mobile still.
• Le parc – Further large tools and machines are installed in the museum park.

Operated by

Association « Les Amis du Temps Passé »

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Visiting the museum is free; a small donation barrel near the exit accepts voluntary contributions.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

From the motorway, take the Pons exit; the village of Clion lies in the triangle formed by Pons, Jonzac and Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge. The museum is in the village centre, next to the church, at 28 avenue Saint-André.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit