Petworth Cottage Museum
Estate worker's cottage in Petworth, restored and furnished as it would have been in 1910, home of the seamstress Mary Cummings.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Petworth Cottage Museum occupies 346 High Street, a part of a much larger 17th-century timber-framed building that was sold to the Leconfield Estate in 1854. In the early 20th century it was a rented cottage for estate workers. From 1901 to 1930 the tenant was Mary Cummings, a seamstress who worked from home and for nearby Petworth House.
The idea of reconstructing an estate worker's home as it might have looked in 1910 came from a local resident in the mid-1990s. Lord Egremont supported the plan and leased the cottage to a newly formed charitable trust at a nominal rent. Local people gave furniture, fabrics and household objects, and the interiors were restored using colours found by scraping back the walls. The museum opened on 4 May 1996.
The cottage is arranged with a garden, scullery, living room, bedroom, sewing room, attic and cellar. The range in the sitting room is lit, the table is laid for tea and a treadle sewing machine reflects Mrs Cummings's trade. The museum also holds a small collection of crested Goss china with the Petworth coat of arms.
The museum closed during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 and reopened on 19 July 2022 after a thorough refurbishment, including new wallpaper copied from the original pattern. It is run by volunteer stewards under the independent Petworth Cottage Trust.
Highlights
- Cottage furnished as it was in 1910
- Home of the seamstress Mary Cummings
- Lit coal range and laid tea table
- Treadle sewing machine in the sewing room
- Cottage garden with outdoor privy
- Collection of Petworth Goss china
Permanent exhibitions
- Mrs Cummings's Cottage – A furnished estate worker's cottage as it was in 1910, from the scullery and living room to the sewing room, attic and cellar, with a period cottage garden.
- Petworth Goss China – More than 40 pieces of crested Goss souvenir china, including items bearing the Petworth coat of arms.
- Founded
- 1996
- Operated by
- Petworth Cottage Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £1Children under 14 pay £1. |
| Groups | –Group visits are arranged by appointment. |
| School visit (per child) | £1No charge for accompanying adults; teachers are offered a free advance visit. |
Free admission: Free admission on the Christmas open day and during the Petworth Heritage Weekend (donations welcome)
Prices are taken from the museum leaflet. Friends of the museum receive a free pass in return for an annual donation.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The cottage is entered from the rear garden through the scullery. The cellar is reached by stone steps and a steep stair leads to the attic bedroom. The cottage itself has never had an indoor toilet; the period outdoor privy stands in the garden. The Christmas open day uses the ground floor only.
Kids & families
School visits are offered for young children and are described as suiting Key Stage 1 particularly well; children under 14 pay £1.
Getting there & parking
The museum is on the High Street in the centre of Petworth, within the South Downs National Park.
Get directionsAmenities & 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
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum is staffed by volunteer stewards. A virtual tour and a downloadable leaflet are available on the website. School visits for Key Stage 1 can be arranged on weekday mornings or afternoons, and group visits by appointment (call 01798 848294). |
