2022, September 11th, Downland and Weald Living Museum

Instead of the usual walk, a group of 42 Ramblers and friends travelled by coach to Sussex, to visit the Weald and Downland Living Museum, near Chichester. Early morning mist cleared as we made our way there, giving way to a beautiful sunny day.

On arrival most of us made for the café to refuel before heading off to see as many of the 50 or so reconstructed buildings on the site as we could manage. These range from Saxon dwellings, based on archaeological discoveries, through medieval thatched and timbered-framed houses, to Victorian cottages and a school. Many of them are furnished as they would have been when first lived in, and many of us were struck by how dark these buildings were, even on such a bright day. There are more utilitarian buildings too, such as a water mill, saw-pit, and dairy, as well as wheeled ‘shepherds’ huts. The museum gives a vivid insight into life and work in rural England through history.

Highlights for many of us included the beautiful ‘Bayleaf’ Tudor farmstead and a granary raised on staddle stones to keep out the vermin. Today we more often see these staddles as garden ornaments, or built into walls, and forget their original use. And of course we also saw Court Barn and the wagon shed so familiar from BBC1’s ‘The Repair Shop’. Sadly, they were not filming on the day we visited, nor were we able to get close to the barn. It is good to know that there are still people able to practise those traditional skills.

Our thanks are due to Ellisons Coaches and our excellent driver, and to the staff of the Weald and Downland Museum, who all helped to make the trip run so smoothly.

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