tudor monastery farm – special tours this year · 2017-12-05 · tudor monastery farm ... used...

Events, Courses and What’s on 2014

Majorfunding for the GatewayProject

Housing the rural labourer in the 19thcentury

SPRING 2014

WEALD & DOWNLANDO P E N A I R M U S E U M

Tudor Monastery Farm –special tours this year

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W&D Spring 2014 OFC_W&D OFC (2) 20/02/2014 15:34

2 Weald & Downland Open Air Museum SPRING 2014

News...........................3-7

Interpretation........9, 11,16, 33

Historic buildings...13-15,39

What’s On...................17

Library .........................19

Courses .................21-24

Talks........................25/38

Collections ............26-29

Friends’ news ............31

Museum trustees 32/33

Schools services .......35

People .........................37

From the Director2014 promises to be anotherexciting and challenging year! Progress continues on developing ourStage Two Heritage Lottery Fund bid for the Gateway Project and the Chairman’s column oppositeexplores it further. Having com-pleted the re-erection of TindallsCottage during 2013, our attentionwill this year be focused around theGateway Project and the moving of

the medieval house from Sole Street and the Pallingham Quaywagon shed (currently used for our refreshment facilities) tonew sites once the final plans and approvals for the projecthave been agreed.

We may also become involved in rescuing an 18th centurybarn and stable from a road widening scheme in Kent later inthe year: further details are still to be confirmed.

Another interesting project which we are currently research-ing is the archaeological reconstruction of a Saxon building tomeet the changes being introduced into the NationalCurriculum later this year. We are taking expert advice fromleading archaeologists specialising in Saxon buildings, and planswill be carefully drawn up over the coming months. Visitors to the museum during the 1970s and 80s will remember thearchaeological Saxon reconstructions on site at that time.

I am sure many people enjoyed watching Tudor MonasteryFarm on BBC TV before Christmas. It is a wonderful accom-plishment for the museum to be featured on national televi-sion during prime viewing time and already many visitorshave commented on the programmes. Hopefully, we shall seean increase in visitors during the coming season as a result andwe shall be offering special Tudor Monastery Farm tours. It hasbeen interesting to note the impact of social media such asTwitter during the screening of the programmes, resulting infavourable comments from over 4,000 followers. The museumhas in recent years become an increasingly popular filminglocation and the income and general interest it creates are ofconsiderable benefit.

Themes are an important part of any museum’s event plan-ning. Tudor domestic life will be playing a prominent role thisseason, and as part of the commemoration of the First WorldWar we will be holding a special Horses at War event on 7/8June. Military historian Andy Robertshaw, who has beeninvolved with the museum over many years, will be helpingco-ordinate this event, which will include a display of rarehorse-drawn vehicles used on the Western Front. As always wehave an exciting programme of special events, and we are par-ticularly keen to promote the smaller events and activities stagedby the interpretation team, details of which you will find inthe magazine. It is so important that visitors recognise us asbeing a place for all seasons and not just on a few specific days.

Energy consumption and its cost is now a major considerationfor everyone. The museum spends some £40,000 per year onenergy and water consumption and we are currently working toreduce this and increase our efficiency, as well as introducing sustainable materials as part of the Gateway Project.

We look forward to welcoming you in the exciting seasonahead!

WEALD & DOWNLANDO P E N A I R M U S E U M SPRING 2014

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Front cover picture: Pictured during thefilming of BBC TV’s Tudor Monastery Farmwith the house from Walderton in thebackground are, from left, presenters RuthGoodman, Tom Pinfold and Peter Ginn withcontributor Professor Ronald Hutton.

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Food & SpringCountrysideShow – 4/5 MayEnjoy the very best of the South East’sproduce, crafts, books and plantswhich will be on show at this year’s spring event. Local foodproducers will be offering tasty produce to try and buy, with cooksproducing amazing dishes in the Cookery Theatre. Watch teams ofheavy horses working on seasonal tasks and enjoy activities forchildren, horse-drawn wagon rides and traditional and historicaldemonstrations around the site.

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The autumn 2013issue of thismagazine ledwith news of themuseum’s StageOne HeritageLottery Fund(HLF) award(£236,000)

towards our major £4 millionGateway Project, intended to secure themuseum’s future. Since then we havebeen busy putting in place the worknecessary to ensure a successful StageTwo submission.

Our aim is to submit the detailed final proposal to the HLF in June this year for afinal decision in September. If all goes well,we could be letting construction contractsbefore the end of the year.

The key components of the project are:• New (all weather) visitor entrance and

facilities • Improved interpretation, way-finding and

story-telling around the site• New restaurant• New shop• New and enhanced opportunities for

conservation, learning and participation• Improved, safer car parking arrangements

with better access for disabled visitors.During the past six months we have been

discussing with our landlord, the EdwardJames Foundation, the best location for thenew visitor entrance. Hitherto we had envis-aged this being sited close to the events fieldat the bottom of Gonville Drive. Howeverwe have now agreed to focus the project on

one location, the proposed lakeside develop-ment where we already have planning permission for a refectory/restaurant. Theplan above indicates the area concerned.

Work is progressing fast with the follow-ing appointed to help work up the detail:• Project Managers• Architects and Quantity Surveyors• Interpretation specialists• Fund-raising professionals to raise our

share of the costs required by HLF.As plans progress we will exhibit them on

site so please do seek these out during yourvisit.

As I reflect on thepast 12 months in thelife of the museum, Ifind it hard not todescribe 2013 as yetanother special year.They are all special yearsat this museum! Lastyear saw the erection ofTindalls Cottage, so thatwe now have cottagesrepresenting each of thecenturies from the 13thto the 19th. In Marchwe received the massivenews of the HLF proj-ect decision (detailedabove) and in April we enjoyed an officialvisit from the Duke ofKent.

2014 promises to bejust as exciting withstrong but positivewinds of change in theair. Finally I’d like to

comment on the letter from the FriendsChairman printed on page 31. The proposalis purely about a change in how things are administered, but it does bring with it opportunities to improve our standard of service to our key supporters. Your Friends membership and the support thatFriends give to us is the lifeblood of thismuseum. Without it the museum would notbe sustainable and we look forward to yourcontinuing friendship for many years tocome.

Paul RiggChairman of Trustees

news

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum SPRING 2014 3

Vintage & Steam – 16-17 August

This popular two-day event reflects how steam power was used for agricultural work,including wood sawing, threshing and haulage. Showmen also relied on their largeshowman’s engines to generate the power for fairground rides; Arthur Thompson’sFowler showman’s engine ‘Lion’ will be powering James Horton’s gallopers. Tractionengines, rollers, wagons, ploughing engines and portable engines will all berepresented at the show. There will also be a large gathering of miniature engines,model displays, a miniature railway, vintage and commercial vehicles, a traditional fair,vintage music, local crafts and demonstrations. Don’t miss it!

From the Chairman

Location of the proposed new visitor centre, restaurant andshop.

We are delighted that the DCMS(Department for Culture, Media &Sport)/Wolfson Museum ImprovementFund will be supporting the museum’sproject with a generous grant of£250,000. The museum is workingwith heritage fundraising consultantsDevelopment Partners to raise theexpected £1 million match fundingrequired for the project. We are alsograteful to the PF Charitable Trust andthe Basil Shippam & Alsford CharitableTrust for providing grants of £5,000each. Other grant applications are inthe pipeline which, together withdonations from other generoussupporters, will, we hope, enable us to reach our target.

Major fundingannounced for theGateway Project

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The museum is running two specialistconferences this year, marking twodifferent 50th anniversaries.

The Wealden Buildings Study Group willbe celebrating their first 50 years of historicbuildings research work in the Wealdenregion, covering Kent, Sussex and parts ofSurrey on 29 March. The day will be

packed with contributions from no lessthan eight expert speakers, with time toexplore the museum site, appealing to pro-fessionals and amateurs alike. The work ofthe group has run alongside the museum’sdevelopment, rescuing and re-erectingimportant examples of vernacular architec-ture from the region.

Then, on 30 September History ofWoodworking Tools: 50th anniversaryof W L Goodman’s seminal book willfocus on the work of Bill Goodman, theoriginator of the Tools & Trades HistorySociety (TATHS). The conference will beled by Jane Rees, the society’s VicePresident and Jay Gaynor, Director ofHistoric Trades at Colonial Williamsburg,USA who is well acquainted with tool collectors, researchers and authors on bothsides of the Atlantic. The day will follow thechapters of Bill’s book with experts on dif-ferent types of tools sharing their expertise.Some speakers will also bring displays ofhistoric tools and TATHS members willhelp man the museum’s artefact store show-ing delegates the Philip Walker and ArthurPlewis collections during the lunch break.See page 27 for a feature on Arthur Plewis.

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Historic GardensWeekend – 4-6 July

The museum’s six period gardensrepresenting five centuries of gardeningwill be open for a special weekend on4-6 July giving gardening enthusiasts anopportunity to learn about the herbs,vegetables and flowers that ruralhouseholds would have grown andused from Tudor times to the Victorianera. Guided tours, talks anddemonstrations will take place withinthe gardens across the site – not to bemissed for those with green fingers!

Blossoming forth…Spring – encapsulated in this image of apple blossom in the garden of the house from Walderton - is always an excitingtime for the museum’s gardening team, looking forward to another challenging and hopefully productive year. What havethey been up to during the winter months? They have been kept busy with plenty of jobs, says museum Gardener CarlottaHolt, including replacing the continuous hurdle fencing around Poplar and Bayleaf gardens, laying hedges, and renovationpruning of fruit trees in Bayleaf orchard and around the museum site. They have also continued work on the museum’sherbarium, an historical plant record of plant specimens from the museum site, involving cataloguing and recording andmounting specimens. During very wet weather, time has been spent sorting through seeds harvested during last year andpreparing seed sowing plans for the coming season. Each year brings its challenges; last year it was very cold until well intoApril – then we had the heat wave and a very wet winter! What will happen in 2014? See also below right.

Two conferences celebrate50th anniversaries

Woodworking tools in the museum’sBuilding Crafts Gallery: they will be thefocus of a conference this year, History ofWoodworking Tools: 50th anniversary ofW L Goodman’s seminal book

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The museum was shown onpeak-time viewing on BBC2throughout the autumn andagain at New Year when TudorMonastery Farm attractedmillions of viewers in the latestin television’s popular livinghistory series.

Historian Ruth Goodman, a leading specialist in Tudor domestic life and wellknown to the museum, and archaeolo-gists Peter Ginn and Tom Pinfold took onthe roles of lay-folk who carried outmost of the farming, trades and crafts onmonastic lands at around 1500, a turningpoint in British history.

Audience figures totalled 10.85 mil-lion, well above average for the channel’stimeslot, and fans of the series were also able to watch an extra programmefilmed specially for the Christmas/NewYear period.

The book of the series hasbeen selling well in themuseum shop, and DVDsare now also available. Arange of merchandise isalso being commissioned,ideal presents for fans ofthe series. The museum isputting on a series of guidedtours enabling visitors to discover the key filming venueson our site (see right).

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Enjoy the venue where Tudor MonasteryFarm was filmed!

IN BRIEFWOODLAND ACTIVITY TRAILThe museum probably has one of thevery few, if not the only, managedworking coppice in West Sussex that isregularly open to the public. It is avaluable resource and a Family ActivityTrail is being planned which will givechildren, including schools, family andother groups, the opportunity to learnand understand how a coppicedwoodland was worked in the past andtoday. The trail will also cover wildlifeand include some natural play featuresto make the trail both informative andadventurous. Specially equippedcanvas backpacks will be availableproviding information and equipmentto enable the tours to be self-guided.

FIGHTING THE WEATHERHeavy winter rainfall has taken its tollon many of the site paths, with thecar parks partially affected byexcessive run-off from the higherground above. We shall be workinghard to rectify the damage andintroduce more ditches and ways ofdiverting storm water. The rain, whichwas sometimes followed by shortsharp frosts, has also affected some ofthe wattle and daub panels on ourexhibit buildings and we shall beworking on their restoration thisspring. Building maintenancecontinues, and we are awaiting theresponse to a grant application forundertaking repair and conservationwork to a number of exhibits,including Titchfield Market Hall.

GROWING OUR CROPSOur wheat and barley crops have beensown, but have taken time to germinatedue to the wet weather and frequentscavenging by pheasants and crows,necessitating the loan of the CucumberFarm (Singleton) bird scarer! The flaxand Chidham wheat which were grownin the Bayleaf field strips are now beinggrown in smaller plots at TindallsCottage, using the Chidham wheat seedstock kindly grown last year by JonathanFulford of Bartholomews of Chichesterand his parents-in-law. A hop gardenhas been planted at Tindalls and thiswill provide the hops for this year’s‘Harvest Ale’, brewed for us by BallardsBrewery at Rogate. The On the Hop aleproved a huge success at the ChristmasMarket and sold out over the weekend.

Left, museum volunteers busy filming in the market square, and right, tucking into the‘Christmas’ meal filmed in November.

Tudor Monastery Farm: Guided Tours 2.00pm – 4.00pm: £20 per personThe museum is offering guided walks around the site, stopping at key points

where scenes from Tudor Monastery Farm were filmed. The walk willtake in a large part of the 50-acre site, and end with tea and a chance

to find out more about the behind-the-scenes action from some ofthe volunteers who were extras in the series. Contact the museumon 01243 811021 to book. Here are the dates.

Friday 4 April

Monday 19 May

Friday 13 June

Tuesday 8 July

Monday 4 August

Monday 18 August

“The greatest variety of 15th

and 16th century buildings in the

country” Lion TV – producers of

BBC TV’s Tudor Monastery Farm

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The museum is holding aspecial event to commemoratethe use of horses in the Firstand Second World Wars on 7/8June which is expected toattract large numbers ofvisitors. Part of the nationwideremembrance of the First WorldWar, the event is among thosebeing promoted by the ImperialWar Museum.

Horses at War: Remembering WWI & WWIIwill include re-enactments, parades anddemonstrations marking the centenary of the First World War and 70 years sincethe D-Day landings in the Second WorldWar. The courage of horses in war, andtheir roles on the battlefield and onthe home front will be featured.

The event follows the verysuccessful War Horse event atthe museum in 2012, whichdrew large crowds andended with a moving rendi-tion of Cicely Fox Smith’ssong, Home Lads Home, writ-ten in nearby Hampshire.

Once again the museum isjoining forces with AndyRobertshaw, curator/manager of theRoyal Logistic Corps Museum, who wasthe historical consultant on the StevenSpielberg film, War Horse. The museum’s2012 event featured the largest display ofFirst World War horse-drawn vehicles inone place since 1941.

Among arena displays will be a WWI18-pounder gun and limber from theRoyal Armouries’ Fort Nelson, Hampshire,

drawn by Robert Sampson’s sixPercherons; the Queen’s Own

Royal West Kent RegimentLiving History Group; theWelsh Horse Yeomanry with a French WWI ammunition/stores wagon,and a Clydes dale drumhorse/working horse, and

a mounted display by the 16th Lancers Display Troop.

Military and vintage vehicles willalso be on show.

In the previous week (2-6 June) a specialprogramme of activities for schools will berunning, with many of the demonstrationscontinuing into the weekend. They includedisplays of wartime farming in the SouthDowns, focusing particularly on the supply

of charcoal and hurdles for trench warfare,with demonstrations relating to charcoalburning, hurdle-making and forestry.

There will be a look at how three of ourbuildings, Whittakers’ Cottages, SouthWonston Church and Southwater Smithy,were affected by the First World War as well as a focus on the foundation of theWomen’s Land Army and the Women’sForestry Corps.

Finally, there will be a Military AncestryRoad Show to which visitors are en -couraged to bring their medals, uniforms,photographs and other ephemera fromtheir family’s military past for a panel ofexperts to identify and provide furthersources of information to help with familyhistory. This section will also include a display of an advanced dressingstation/hospital and ‘Food in the Field’ –rations and cookery in the two World Wars,with a field kitchen demonstration.

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IN BRIEFMORRIS DANCING AT THE MUSEUM THIS YEARMythago Morris, who took part in our Tree Dressing dayin December, will be visiting more often this year, onSaturday 19 April for the Easter weekend; on Sunday 22June for Midsummer celebrations; again in the autumn(date to be confirmed) and of course in the winter forTree Dressing day on 7 December. They will present adifferent dance for each season. Rabble, who are alsoan important part of our Tree Dressing activities, arealso regular visitors especially during May and June forour maypole dancing season.

Horses at War: Remembering WWI & WWII– the museum’s special event marking thecommemoration of the First World War

Visiting The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum is likestepping back in time, waaay back! Their curators and staff and

volunteers are a fabulous group who are keen to educatevisitors about our rich history. It Rocks!

5 Star Facebook Review, Colleen Snyman, September 2013

One of the best places locally for a family day out. There isalways so much to see and do . . . and there are always new

attractions being added. 5 Star Facebook Review, Barge Queen, December 2013

The WWI 18-pounder gun and limber drawn by Robert Sampson’s six Percherons at theWeald & Downland Open Air Museum’s 2012 event will be appearing at this year’s Horsesat War event.

Best of Facebook

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The Friends of the Museummakes a significant financialcontribution to the museum’sday-to-day operation and avariety of projects and activities.Last year’s grants amounted to£226,850.

Since its establishment in 1970 theFriends has grant-aided the museum tothe tune of some £2.5 million. It remainsone of the largest museum Friendsgroups in the country, with some 4,500members, representing more than 9,600individuals. Independent charitablemuseums like the Weald & Downlandreceive no direct Government fundingand the Friends’ help is vital in supple-menting revenue income from visitoradmissions, the shop, catering and train-ing courses.

The Friends’ funding comes in twoways. A substantial grant is made towardsthe costs of essential activities at themuseum. This grant, for £175,000 in2013, was paid in five instalments to assistthe museum with core activities, includingexhibit improvements, historic gardensdevelopment and maintenance, marketingand publicity, horses and livestock, sitemaintenance, schools service, staff andvolunteer training and support for cura-torial and collections activities. The secondtranche supports a variety of individualprojects and last year totalled £51,850,

including a substantial contribution toTindalls Cottage, a significant addition tothe exhibit buildings. It comprises:

See page 31 for more informationabout the Friends. Full details of theFriends’ activities are available on themuseum website, and to join the Friendscontact 01243 811893.

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Rare Breeds Show – 20 JulyDon’t miss thisdelightful andintimateagricultural show –one of the mostpopular events atthe museum andone of the South’sbiggest gatheringsof farm animals.Visitors can get upclose to hundredsof cattle, sheep,pigs, goats andpoultry – traditionalbreeds shown in a wide range of classes and culminating in a grand parade. There’sthe opportunity to chat to their owners, as well as visit craft and trade stands oncountryside themes. The show is supported once again by the Friends of the Museum.

Museum Friends’ vitalcontribution

IN BRIEFALL SYSTEMS GO IN THEMUSEUM SHOPThe museum shop has sold almost300 Tudor Monastery Farm books,reports shop manager Simon Bridge,who has now completed six monthsrunning the museum’s retailoperation, and is looking forward toreceiving the DVD of the series forsale shortly. “I have experienced themuseum at its very busiest, at eventslike the Autumn Countryside Showand the Christmas Market, and nowin January when we count to 10 andbegin planning for the next seasonfor the museum shop”, he says. Keyto its successful operation, especiallyduring busy periods, is making surethat we have the right number ofvolunteers and staff in place,experienced in the everyday demandsat the first point of call that ourvisitors and volunteers have at themuseum. “Not only do we have toprocess admissions, Gift Aid and shoppurchases, but often find that theshop is a focal point for a variety ofgeneral visitor and volunteerenquiries,”, he continues, “fromconcerns about the animals, and handing in lost property torecommendations on where to visitaround the museum site.” Simon hasfocused on rebuilding the balance ofa local, historic and unique offer inkeeping with the ethos of themuseum, bringing in local crafts, andnew ranges of ceramics, plants, food,drink and pocket money toys. Simonis always interested to hear people’ssuggestions for new ideas for itemsto sell and ways of improving theshop.

TOP MARKS ON TRIP ADVISOR!The museum’s entry on Trip Advisor hasscooped a Certificate of Excellence for2013. The museum achieved a visitorrating averaging 4.5 out of a possible 5,including 108 Excellent and 56 Very good ratings. Communications &Business Development Manager KateRussell also reports very positivefeedback from Facebook and Twittersince their creation over a year ago.Facebook had 1,890 ‘likes’ in Januarythis year, and the museum has gained4,167 followers on Twitter.

Furniture made for 18th century TindallsCottage by Roger Champion was supportedby a grant from the Friends of theMuseum.

Cottage furnishings 2012 £2,000Historic Clothing Project £3,500Tindalls Cottage interim

payment £15,000Rare Breeds Show

sponsorship £10,000Cottage furnishings 2013 £2,000Fundraising search engine £350Tindalls Cottage completion £17,000History Gang set-up £2,000

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When Bayleaf was first furnished in the late1980s it was provided with a woven wooland silk damask cloth to hang behind thetable at the upper end of the hall which wascopied from a surviving 16th century fragment. Over the years the cloth hasfaded and deteriorated and it has nowreached a state where it cannot be repaired.

The museum has decided to replace itwith a painted cloth, based on the designon a set of original wall paintings survivingin Althrey Hall (Flintshire, Wales) whichhave been dated to about 1550 – close tothe 1540 date that Bayleaf is interpreted to.

Painted cloths were a common form ofdecoration in the 16th century. Alongwith other types of textile hangings, theyserved both as a form of decoration and

insulation. In his Description of England(1577) William Harrison describes how“the walls of our houses on the innersides … be either hanged with tapestry,arras work, or painted cloths, whereineither diverse histories, or herbs, beasts,

knots, and suchlike are stained . . .whereby the rooms are not a little com-mended, made warm, and much moreclose than otherwise they would be”.

Unlike tapestries, which were onlyfound in the houses of the wealthy,painted cloths were common even inlower status dwellings. They were paintedin bright colours and sometimes includedlarge-scale figurative and narrative decora-tion. Designs resembled the patterns andsubjects found in tapestry, but paintedcloths were more closely related to wallpainting. Both cloths and wall paintingswere produced by members of theLondon-based Painter-Stainers’ Company.

Several of the Kent probate inventorieswhich were used as part of the Bayleafresearch project in the 1980s list paintedcloths. For example, the inventory ofEleanor Hayes of Marden (1565)included four painted cloths valued at 2s,whilst that of Peter Hayne of the Isle ofSheppey (1565) included painted clothsin his hall, his parlour and three upperchambers.

Very few painted cloths survive,because of the thin and perishable natureof the linen. There is a higher survivalrate for wall paintings but many of thesurviving schemes are now fragmentaryor are unsuitable in other ways (forexample, because the people depicted inthem are wearing clothing from a laterdate). The Althrey Hall paintings willprovide a good model for the designbecause they are complete and largelynon-figurative.

The replica cloth will be made bydesigner Melissa White, who specialises inhand-painted Elizabethan domestic interior decoration, including wall paintings and painted cloths. Melissa willpaint directly onto linen using traditionalanimal size and natural pigments.

Danae Tankard

interpretation


Flax processingat TindallsCottageVisitors might well have seendemonstrations at Cowfold Barn lastyear of the processing of flax intolinen yarn. We have used this tomake string which is used on site forsuch things as tying up herbs in thegardens, or tying round the cheesesin our new Tindalls Cottage milkhouse. The demonstrations willcontinue this year, but now with thenew interpretation facility of TindallsCottage we will be able to show thewhole cycle of flax preparation overthe summer season. A small amountof flax will be planted within thecurtilage of Tindalls. This will bepulled in the summer, retted(soaked) and dried before beingprepared by domestic interpreters JoShorter and Cathy Flower-Bond. Thestems are scutched (broken) to release the fibres, which are then heckled (combed) toproduce the fine smooth flaxen yarn ready for spinning. Pictured is Jo Shorter breaking(scutching) flax at Cowfold Barn.

New painted clothcommissioned for BayleafA new painted cloth is beingcommissioned for BayleafFarmhouse to replace thecurrent woven cloth in thehall at a cost of about £6,000.

Detail of wall painting, Althrey Hall,Flintshire (Royal Commission on theAncient & Historical Monuments of Wales).© Crown copyright: RCAHMW

The cost of the painted cloth will beabout £6,000, and the Friends of theMuseum have generously agreed tohelp. However, if we can fund theproject from an alternate source, thefunds pledged by the Friends can beused for other projects that areequally vital to the museum. Can youhelp? Mothering Sunday is just roundthe corner and pledging a donation tothis fascinating project would makethe most special gift for a mother orgrandmother. If you would like totreat your special person please callJulie Aalen on 01243 811016 and shewill be pleased to help.

Can you help?

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Here at the museum we arecommitted to caring for our site inan environmentally friendly wayas far as we possibly can. Ourperiod gardens are managed in atraditional way and fertilisedusing dung and compostproduced on site. Our meadowsare managed for bio-diversity andthe habitat supports bees, birds,mammals, butterflies and otherinvertebrate species.

We can play a vital role in protecting theecosystem that the wildflower meadowssupport and this also gives us an opportunityto demonstrate to our visitors a very impor-tant part of our environmental heritage.

The wildflower meadow next to PoplarCottage was created at the end of 2012,using some of the wildflower turf whichhad been specially grown for the openingceremony of the Olympic Games 2012.Poplar Cottage was originally built on theedge of wasteland, and so this 200sqm ofwildflower meadow may replicate the areaof common land which lay alongside thecottage.

The turf was donated thanks to a jointinitiative between Hampshire-basedWildflower Turf Ltd and the Sussex-basedWeald Meadows Partnership (WMP). Theflowers and grasses used in the turf includeyellow rattle, self-heal, bird’s-foot trefoil andcrested dogs-tail, all of which are native toSussex. Once they were common in theregion but are now in significant declinedue to intensive farming methods. Duringthe first summer of growth the area wasdominated by crested dog’s-tail grass, whichin fact does not make good hay as it is veryrough. However this grass is likely to be lessdominant next year as the wildflowerspecies become more firmly established.The meadow was scythed by hand duringAugust, after the seed had set and scattered.

We continue to work with the WealdMeadows Partnership and are also working

with the South Downs National ParkAuthority and the Royal Botanic GardensKew on a downland restoration project on

the north-facing bank which lies betweenHambrook Barn and Tindalls Cottage.‘Downland’ can be defined as thin soils overchalk, with a high diversity of species. Thisland has been traditionally farmed for thepast few years and is used for producing acrop of hay for our animal feed, and forgrazing sheep. It currently supports about sixfine grasses and 13 wild flower species, butwith our new sustainable grassland manage-ment programme this will be enhanced. Theland has been prepared over the autumn andwinter and planted with seed. In the springwe will be involving two of our local schoolsin planting wildflower plant-plugs. This is anongoing project and by summer 2014 wehope to be able to identify a larger numberof both grass and flower species.

Where possible we scythe our meadowsand historic gardens by hand, and the hayon the larger bank is cut using our heavyhorses whenever we can.

Karen Searle Barrett

interpretation


Historic Clothing &Textiles Exhibition – 30 March-5 AprilAn exhibition of authentic traditional textiles andclothes created as part of the museum’s HistoricClothing Project will be held on 30 March-5 April.Researchers and volunteers will be on hand explainingand demonstrating needlework techniques throughoutthe event. The project, a unique and innovativeinvestigation into the construction and production ofclothing worn by ordinary people across the centuries,is guided by consultant Barbara Painter, Domestic Life

Interpreter, Lesley Parker, and Museum Historian, Danae Tankard. The aim is to providea stock of replica historic clothing covering a range of periods to clothe volunteers andstaff working in the exhibit buildings, which date from the 14th-early 20th centuries.The clothing is produced by the museum’s 30-strong Needlework Group andinterpretation team with rigorous attention to detail. The museum has published aHistoric Clothing Booklet, available in the museum shop, and reports and updates onthe project can be found on a blog, via the museum’s website, www.wealddown.co.ukor directly at http://historicclothing.wordpress.com

Creating wildflower meadows

Mark Allery scything the meadow next toPoplar Cottage using an English scythe.

Cutting the bank above Hambrook Barn to make hay.

Mowing our meadows . . .Gradually we are increasing the areas of themuseum site mown by hand with a scythe.Led by champion English scyther Mark Allery(who demonstrates pole-lathe turning andscything regularly at the museum) we haverun training sessions for our volunteers whohave picked up the skill with enthusiasm.Members of the gardening team now regularlymow the period gardens with the scythe, andyou may well see other areas of the museumsite being mown by hand. They use the lightermodern Austrian scythes, although you willalso find Mark himself handling the older,heavier English scythes to mow our wildflowermeadows. All our scythers are keen to talk tovisitors and demonstrate the skill. Look out forscything courses in the rural crafts and tradescourse programme (see pages 23-24).

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MA in Cultural HistoryTaught in collaboration with Pallant HouseGallery, the George Bell Institute and theWeald and Downland Open Air Museum.

www.chi.ac.uk/history

Contact: Dr Danae Tankard,[email protected]

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Jefferies’s comments draw attention to adichotomy in the depiction and under-standing of the country cottage in the 19thcentury. On the one hand, the cottage wasviewed as a rural idyll, aesthetically pleasing and representing a sturdy, ‘English’way of life in contrast to the squalor and‘foreignness’ of the city. On the other, asuccession of widely-publicised socialinvestigations into the living and workingconditions of rural labourers left politesociety in no doubt that the condition ofmany cottages was ‘in the highest degreedeplorable’.

Wretched habitationsIn 1843 special assistant poor law commis-sioner, Alfred Austin, presented his findingson the counties of Wiltshire, Dorset,Devon and Somerset to the parliamentarycommission on the employment ofwomen and children in agriculture. Theymade grim reading:

It is impossible not to be struck, in visitingthe dwellings of the agricultural labourers,with the general want of new cottages,notwithstanding the universal increase of

population. Everywhere the cottages are old,and frequently in a state of decay, and areconsequently ill adapted for their increasednumber of inmates of late years. The floor ofthe room in which the family live during theday is always of stone in these counties, andwet or damp through the winter months,being frequently lower than the soil outside.The situation of the cottage is oftenextremely bad, no attention having beenpaid at the time of its building to facilities fordraining. Cottages are frequently erected on adead level, so that water cannot escape; andsometimes on spots lower than the surround-ing ground. In the village of Stourpaine, inDorsetshire, there is a row of several labour-ers’ cottages, mostly adjoining each other, andfronting the street, in the middle of which isan open gutter. There are two or three narrowpassages leading from the street, between thehouses, to the back of these. Behind the cottages the ground rises up rather abruptly;and about three yards up the elevation areplaced the pigsties and privies of the cottages.There are also shallow excavations, thereceptacles apparently of all the dirt of thefamilies. The matter constantly escaping fromthe pigsties, privies etc is allowed to find itsway through the passages between the cottages into the gutter in the street, so thatthese cottages are nearly surrounded bystreams of filth. It was in these cottages thata malignant typhus broke out about twoyears ago, which afterwards spread throughthe village.Whilst the west of England was known

as the region with the lowest agricultural

wages and the worst conditions of labour-ing life, Austin’s findings were not unique.Successive parliamentary reports identifiedold and decaying housing stock, housingshortages, high rents, low wages, poordrainage and inadequate fresh water supplies as common problems in ruralcommunities. The threat posed by thesedeficiencies was as much moral as physical:social investigators commented repeatedlyon the brutalizing and demoralising con sequences of substandard housing.They were particularly concerned aboutthe pernicious effect of insufficient bed-room accommodation, with brothers andsisters, fathers and daughters, forced toshare not only rooms but frequently beds.

Blame for substandard rural housing wasplaced firmly at the doors of propertyowners, whether large estate owners (whomight find themselves named and shamedin public inquiries) or private landlords.However, the labourer himself was oftendepicted as contributing to, or at leastcomplicit in, his own material misfortune.Indeed, some social commentators went sofar as to suggest that the immorality andbestiality of the labourer were the causerather than the result of his squalid livingconditions.

The complex issues surrounding ruralhousing were parodied in a piece entitled‘The peasant’s petition’ published in thesatirical weekly magazine, Punch, inJanuary 1861and accompanied by pairedcartoons. In it, the fictional petitionercompares the standard of accommodation

historic buildings


‘Wretched habitations’: the housing of therural labourer in 19th century EnglandBy Danae Tankard

Helen Allingham, A cottage near Haslemere, undated (British Museum, London).

In The Toilers of the Fieldpublished posthumously in 1891country writer, Richard Jefferies,described the ‘better’ countrycottages he observed as having‘an old English, homely lookabout them’. To Jefferies’s eye ‘thethatch and gables, andpicturesque irregularity of [them]are more pleasing than themodern glaring red brick and primslate of dwellings built to order’.In summer, with their gardens fullof cabbage-rose trees, wallflowers, hollyhocks, sweet peasand columbine, they achieved‘something of that Arcadianbeauty which is supposed toprevail in the country’. However, inwinter these same cottages were‘wretched’ with rain comingthrough the thatch, cold windscoming through ill-fittingwindows and doors, damp floorsand smoky interiors.

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provided for the landlord’s horses with hisown and in conclusion asks that his landlord ‘be graciously pleased to treat himlike a horse’. The petition is quoted here in full.

The petition of the British peasant tothe British landlord, humbly complain-ing shows to your honour,

That your petitioner having ventured uponthe liberty (for which he hopes to be pardoned) of having peeped into the stablesof your honour (but he solemnly declares,with no evil intentions, and he would nottake an oat without leave) has perceived thatif thought, sense and kindness were evermanifested towards animals, it is in yourhonour’s stables aforesaid.

That the residence in which your honourhumanely places your horses, is well built,water-tight, and well ventilated, is excel-lently floored, and has an excellent supply ofwater, that its drainage is perfect, and its lightcheerful, and that the creature that cannotlive contentedly therein must be a beast.

That the arrangements for the health andcomfort of your honour’s horses seem to yourpetitioner perfect, and designed to make theanimals happy when at home, and fit whenthey come out to perform any amount ofwork which your honour may call on themto do.

That (contrary to the arrangements in yourpetitioner’s dwelling, begging pardon formentioning such a place) separate places areprovided for your honour’s horses, so thatthey sleep apart, and are in no way detrimental to one another.

That your petitioner, knowing the kindnessof your honour’s nature, as shown by thisprovision, and by hundreds of other acts ofyour honour’s, not to speak of your honour’slady, & the young ladies (all of whom hehumbly wishes a Happy New Year, if he maybe so bold), takes the liberty to believe thatyour honour cannot know that your peti-tioner’s cottage, on your honour’s estate, isbadly built, is not drained, has no ventila-tion, has a rotten floor, and is so cold that inthe winter the only way your petitioner andhis family can keep bodies and souls togetheris by huddling together, adults, children,grown-up lads and girls, all together in onewretched bedroom, out of which they comehalf-poisoned by the foul air, not to offendyour honour’s delicacy by saying anythingmore than that they are good for far lesswork than could otherwise be got out ofthem.

Your petitioner therefore, for himself, his wife,four grown-up children, and five little ones,humbly prays to your honour that you willbe graciously pleased to treat him like ahorse. And your petitioner will ever pray andwork, etc, etc.

The satire is built on a number ofthemes which would have been familiar tothe well-informed reader: the connectionbetween substandard accommodation and disease (‘half-poisoned by foul air’), morality (‘huddling . . . all together in onewretched bedroom’) and fitness for work(‘good for far less work’). It also plays onthe idea of the labourer as being little bet-ter than a beast (‘the creature that cannotlive contentedly therein [i.e. in the stable]

must be a beast’). Overall, of course, thepetition is intended to serve as a critique ofwealthy landlords who turned a blind eyeto the misery of their employees and tenants.

Model cottagesHowever, whilst that may have been trueof some landlords it certainly was not ofothers. As the parliamentary reportsacknowledge, there were many ‘improv-ing’ landlords who carried out extensivecottage rebuilding projects on their estates.The best known of these was the Duke ofBedford whose extensive estates were scat-tered across the country. The new Bedfordcottages all contained two ground-floorrooms – a kitchen provided with a cooking range and a scullery containing acopper – and either two or three bed-rooms, one with a fireplace. They also hadoutbuildings including a privy and an ovencommon to each block of cottages. Thescale of building meant that the Dukecould employ mass-production methodswhich allowed him to keep the costsdown.

In his report to parliament in 1867 assis-tant parliamentary commissioner, JamesFraser, singled out two large Sussexlandowners, the Duke of Richmond(Goodwood) and the Hon. Mary VernonHarcourt (West Dean) as ‘large buildersand improvers of cottages’. The Duke ofRichmond was certainly prolific, buildingover 400 cottages between 1860 and hisdeath in 1906. This included 48 pairs of‘double’ or semi-detached cottages (so-called ‘Duchess’ cottages), at a cost of £300a pair. Each cottage contained a livingroom, workroom and pantry downstairs,and three bedrooms upstairs, at least twowith fireplaces. In addition, there was adetached building to the rear, providingeach cottage with its own woodhouse andprivy and a shared washhouse.

Plans for model cottages were publishedin specialist journals such as the Journal ofthe Royal Agricultural Society and TheBuilder, as well as parliamentary reports andnewspapers. Whilst cottage builders mayhave been motivated by philanthropy theywere still looking for a return on theirinvestment, preferably of at least 5 percent. However, the cost of buildingtogether with the necessity of keepingrents low meant that this was difficult todo: even with his mass-production methods the maximum return the Duke ofBedford was able to achieve was 3 per centand by 1885 increased building costs hadreduced this to 0.5 per cent.

Public health legislationThe strenuous efforts of some landlords toimprove labourers’ housing were accom-panied by a raft of national public healthlegislation. In 1846 the first of a series ofNuisances Removal Acts gave authoritiesthe power to prosecute those responsible

historic buildings


Punch, January 1861 (© Punch Limited). Cartoon illustrating ‘The peasant’s petition’. Thecaption reads ‘Mr Punch (to Landlord). “Your stable arrangements are excellent! Supposeyou try something of the sort here! Eh?”’

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for ‘nuisances’, defined broadly asunwholesome houses, accumulations offilth, and the existence of foul drains orcesspools. The Nuisances Removal Act of1855 was especially significant because itincluded the power to close houses wherethe nuisance was ‘such as to render thehouse unfit for human habitation’.However, early public health legislationwas permissive rather than compulsorywhich meant that it was easy for localauthorities to avoid action. Furthermore,the structure of local government waspoorly developed so that it was oftenunclear which authority, if any, wasresponsible. The Sanitary Act of 1866 wasthe first public health legislation in whichcompulsory clauses were dominant.

The Public Health Act of 1872 createdrural and urban sanitary authorities andrequired them to appoint registered doc-tors as medical officers of health (MOH)and inspectors of nuisances. Sanitaryauthorities (which became district coun-cils in 1895) were required to carry outinspections of their districts to ascertainwhether or not there were any nuisancesthat needed abating, and to act on any nuisances reported to them by the MOHor inspector of nuisances. The inspector ofnuisances, who carried out the inspections,could serve notice on any individual orindividuals deemed responsible for causingthe nuisance (the landlord in the case ofhouses), requiring them to abate it withina specified period of time.

However, in 1897 the Land ReformAssociation claimed that the administra-tion of the sanitary laws remained incon-sistent and inefficient. The consequence ofthis was that much rural housing was sub-standard – old and decaying, overcrowded,unsanitary and uncomfortable. In otherwords, at the end of the 19th century

many labourers’ living conditions were nobetter than they had been at its start.

Happy EnglandHappy England is the title of MarcusHuish’s biography of Helen Allingham, themost prolific and now best known of thecottage-genre painters of the 19th century.Allingham began painting cottage sceneswhen she moved to Witley in Surrey withher family in 1881, motivated by a desireto record a vernacular heritage which shesaw as under threat – whether by mod-ernisation or complete destruction (per-haps to be replaced by the ‘modern glaringred brick and prim slate dwellings built to

order’ decried by Richard Jefferies). In1886 she held her first exhibition of cot-tage paintings at the Fine Art Society inLondon. In the introductory note to theexhibition catalogue her husband (theIrish poet, William Allingham) wrote that‘in the short time, to be counted bymonths, since these drawings were made,no few of the Surrey Cottages which theyrepresent have been thoroughly “done up”and some of them swept away’. ForAllingham, like Jefferies, the appeal of oldcottages lay in their ‘picturesque irregular-ity’ and she was careful to remove any traceof the ugly and the modern in her paint-ings – new windows were replaced withtraditional lattices, thatch was added andoutbuildings were removed. She sur-rounded her cottages with lush gardens infull bloom and peopled them with good-looking young women and blond children.

Allingham’s paintings should be seen aspart of the wider preservationist move-ment of the late 19th century, epitomisedby the foundation of the Society for theProtection of Ancient Buildings in 1877and The National Trust in 1895. TheAllinghams were friends with, or moved inthe same circles as, many of those mostclosely involved with these developmentsincluding John Ruskin, William Morris,Octavia Hill and Gertrude Jekyll. Herpreservationist impulse was clearly at oddswith those who sought to improve ruralliving conditions and – as her criticsargued – she effectively painted out ruralpoverty. Yet her paintings were hugely suc-cessful during her lifetime, finding a readymarket with those who preferred to thinkof the country cottage as a vision of ‘oldEngland’, rather than the ‘wretched habita-tion’ of rural workers.

historic buildings


Poplar Cottage, c.1890 (WDOAM archive). In 1891 Poplar Cottage was occupied by GeorgeWitten (centre), a general labourer, and his daughter, Sarah Witten (left), a housekeeper.

Cottage in Wiston, 1900 (WDOAM archive). ‘Picturesque irregularity’.

P. 13-16_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:37

interpretation

The museum is fortunate inhaving the help of its large teamof dedicated volunteers. Each yearthey are offered a wide range oftraining courses to help theminterpret the historic buildingsand rural life artefacts, enhancingeach day for our visitors.

And volunteers are getting more and moreinvolved in active interpretation - doingVictorian laundry, bricklaying and brick-making, opening up the Victorian school,lighting fires with a tinder box, doing household chores in the Toll House andWhittakers’ Cottages, leading site tours, and helping children dress up in Tudor andVictorian clothes.

Many of the training sessions are basedon the historic buildings themselves ranging from the 13th-19th centuries,including Bayleaf Farmhouse and theWinkhurst Tudor Kitchen, the 17th cen-tury Pendean Farmhouse, and our newestexhibit, Tindalls Cottage from the early18th century.

Other sessions cover a range of subjectswe deal with via demonstrations and

discussion with visitors, including candlesand lights, the museum’s period gardens,the woodland and its use, and using a dropspindle and a lucette. Others are devotedto the skills we use to deliver eachmuseum visit, such as working withschools, understanding how timber framedbuildings are created and erected, and howwe curate the collections. There are alsosessions on aspects of running the museum

site, including the shop and ticket officeand site safety.

All the sessions are led by the museum’sprofessional staff, and while some are necessary to attend if you are working in aparticular area of the museum, volunteerscan attend as many of the other sessions asthey wish – with the aim of encouragingeverybody to engage our visitors withconfidence.

Become avolunteer –and immerseyourself inhistory

If you would like to become avolunteer, please call Charlie Thwaiteson 01243 811933, [email protected] or visitour website, www.wealddown.co.uk

“A walk throughhistory”

This is a beautiful location where thehistory of buildings is extended into an

understanding of how people livedthrough the past few hundred years inthe South of England. The volunteers

really bring the exhibits to life! Trip Advisor review – October 2013

Volunteers at work on the museum site, from left, stringing onions in the garden ofWhittakers’ Cottages, and tackling the garden in the spring at the house from Walderton.Below, some even got to be extras in Tudor Monastery Farm, here pictured during filmingin the market square!

Letter from David Upshal, Executive Producer, Tudor

Monastery Farm to the museum’s staff and volunteers –

“On behalf of the production team at Tudor Monastery Farm I would like to say a huge

thank you to all the hard-working and thoroughly knowledgeable staff and volunteers at

the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum.

Without your patience, co-operation and constant collaboration over the course of our

months of filming much of what we achieved would not have been possible.

To all those of you who dressed up and took part in our ‘crowd scenes’, thank you for

taking the time and effort to get involved – and for adding immensely to the picturesque

quality of the location.

To all of you who stood guard while we were filming so that we could get our work done

without interruption, thank you for your fastidiousness and diplomacy.

To all of you who helped with the perpetual moving of animals and equipment around

the location so that we could have everything in place when we needed it, thank you for

your consideration and thoughtfulness. And also for generously sharing your expertise and

know-how. Most of all we became aware during our time at the Weald & Downland that the

museum could not operate and function as it does without your selfless dedication and

commitment. So perhaps our most important note of gratitude ought to be to you for

making the Weald & Downland such a magnificent and breath-taking location.”


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FEBRUARY 17-21 WINTER HALF TERM FAMILYACTIVITIESPut on your winter woollies and wellies and warm upwith a week of creative activities and countryside skills– outdoor trails, arts, crafts and ideas to inspire all thefamily. Under cover if wet.

MARCH 30 MOTHERING SUNDAYThe perfect way to celebrate this special day, which alsomarks the start of our season. Enjoy the spring weatherwith discounted entry for all, plus a complimentarytraditional posy for mothers and grandmothers!

30 March-5 April HISTORIC CLOTHING& TEXTILES EXHIBITIONAn exhibition of authentic traditional textiles andclothes created as part of our Historic Clothing Project.Researchers and volunteers will be explaining anddemonstrating needlework techniques throughout theevent.

APRIL7-17 EASTER HOLIDAYSLonger days, warmer weather (we hope) and twoweeks off school – Easter is the perfect time to visitthe Museum, and enjoy our carpets of flowers, new-born lambs, horses at work and other Spring delights.

12-13 SHEPHERDING & SHEPHERDS’HUTSA weekend dedicated to the skills, traditions andculture of the downland shepherds. See the tools oftheir trade, meet the local Southdown sheep, andexplore our collection of shepherds’ huts old and new.18-21 THE MUSEUM AT EASTERJoin us to celebrate Easter as our rural forebears did. Watch the Tudor Group demonstrating a Tudor Easter; see some of the houses prepared for Easterand join in the bonnet making and parade on EasterMonday.

MAY 4-5 FOOD & SPRING COUNTRYSIDESHOWThe very best of the South East’s produce, crafts,books and plants will be on show at this year’s springevent. Local food producers will be offering tastyproduce to try and buy, with cooks producing amazingdishes in the Southern Cooperative Cookery Theatre.Watch teams of heavy horses working on seasonaltasks and enjoy activities for children, horse-drawnwagon rides and traditional and historicaldemonstrations around the site.*This event is held on Sunday 4 & Bank HolidayMonday 5 May.10-11 NATIONAL MILLS WEEKENDThis year’s theme is ‘Tales from the Mill’. Explore ourworking watermill, try your hand at quern milling,taste biscuits baked using our own flour – and buysome to take home!16-17 MUSEUM AT NIGHT (pre-booking required)Join us from 8.30pm for a guided walk round theMuseum, and experience life in a world without electriclighting. Tickets £15 each, including refreshments.25 ROGATION SUNDAY – BEATING THEBOUNDS WALK (pre-booking required) Country folk used to walk the parish boundary on theSunday before Ascension. We’ll walk right round theMuseum site (about two miles) before finishing withrefreshments and a talk about this ancient ruraltradition. Tickets £15 each.26-30 SPRING HALF TERM FAMILYACTIVITIESMake the most of long days and fine May weatherwith a huge range of arts, crafts, games and activitiesbased in and around the countryside. Suitable for allages. Under cover if wet.

JUNE 2-6 WW1 HOME FRONT IN THE SOUTHDOWNSFind out how people living in the South Downscontributed to the war effort. Watch demonstrations of

in the South East. Watch the classes being judged andbrowse craft and trade stands with a countrysidetheme.

AUGUST 2 WILLIAM COBBETT WALK (pre-booking required) This four-mile walk follows the route taken by farmerand radical journalist William Cobbett on his RuralRide through East Dean to Singleton, 201 years agotoday. Tea and a short talk afterwards. Tickets £15each.

6, 13, 20, 27 WONDERFULWEDNESDAYSJoin us for a day of hands-on countryside skills, crafts,activities and games. Suitable for all ages. Under coverif wet.

16-17 VINTAGE & STEAMA traditional steam festival featuring steam engines,commercial vehicles, classic cars, model boats andminiature railways. Ride on the ever-popular steam-powered carousel gallopers at the traditional fair, andenjoy music, local crafts and demonstrations.

SEPTEMBER6-7 HARVESTING & BREWINGWEEKENDAn introduction to traditional brewing skills –transforming barley and hops into ale and beer – andusing other crops harvested in our traditional fieldsand gardens.

21 COLOUR IN HISTORIC HOMES (pre-booking required)Immerse yourself in a lost world of domestic interiors,with a fascinating day of talks looking at paintings,materials and furniture from both ends of the socialspectrum. Tickets from £30.

OCTOBER 11-12 AUTUMN COUNTRYSIDE SHOWExperience the sights, sounds and smells of thecountryside at harvest time. Enjoy heavy horses andvintage tractors ploughing, steam powered threshing,traditional craft demonstrations, a horticultural showand a chance to browse and buy gifts with acountryside theme.

27-31 AUTUMN HALF TERM FAMILYACTIVITIESWonderful seasonal activities and fun for families. Playconkers or have a go at blacksmithing and muchmore. Undercover if wet.

NOVEMBER8-9 BRINGING HOME THE BACONA fascinating insight into traditional pig rearing andslaughter, and the techniques used to preserve everypart of the carcase to feed the family through thewinter.

15-16 CHRISTMAS MARKETBrowse over 130 trade stands in and around theMuseum’s historic buildings for local arts and craftsand unusual Christmas gifts. Plenty of seasonal foodincluding hot chestnuts, plus meet the donkeys andlisten to festive music.

DECEMBER7 TREE DRESSINGA magical occasion for all the family, as part ofNational Tree Week. Join in traditional songsand dances. Bring a jam jar and turn it into a lantern,then join the procession illuminated by hundreds oflanterns and dress the trees as darkness falls.

26-28 TUDOR CHRISTMASDiscover how people celebrated Christmas in the daysof Henry VIII at our Tudor-themed event based aroundBayleaf Farmstead, where the BBC filmed its hugelypopular documentary series Tudor Monastery Farm in2013.

29 December-1 January 2015 SPECIALOPENINGThe Museum is open until New Year’s Day. Enjoy astroll round our 50-acre site and admire buildingsdecorated in traditional seasonal style – the perfectway to gently work off any festive indulgences!

charcoal-burning, hurdle-making and forestry, anddiscover how three of our buildings were affected bythe Great War.

7-8 HORSES AT WAR: REMEMBERINGWW1 & WW2Re-enactments, parades and demonstrationscommemorating the centenary of the First World War,and 70 years since the D-Day Landings. We’ll celebratethe courage of horses in war, and their roles on thebattlefield and the home front.

22 MIDSUMMER CELEBRATIONSMythago Morris Dancers will herald the summersolstice with their unique brand of dance, music andmummers’ plays, while folk group Trads will play forthe last maypole dance of the year.

JULY 4-6 HISTORIC GARDENS WEEKENDThrough guided tours, talks and demonstrations in our six period gardens, discover the herbs, vegetablesand flowers that rural households would have grownand used from Tudor times right up to the Victorianera.

12-14 ARCHAEOLOGY EXHIBITIONAs part of the British Festival of Archaeology, thisexhibition will introduce you to the deserted medievalvillage at Hangleton, near Brighton, and the buildingwe’ve reconstructed here at the Museum.

20 RARE & TRADITIONAL BREEDSSHOWOur ever-popular show for Britain’s native, cattle,sheep, pigs and poultry is one of the biggest of its kind

WHAT’S ON 2014

P. 17_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:38


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The main library at themuseum is in theground floor rooms ofthe building fromCrawley, in the MarketSquare. This is areference library and isavailable to the public as well asmuseum staff, volunteers andFriends. It is usually open onMonday mornings and byarrangement at other times.There is also a loan library, onthe ground floor of the buildingfrom Reigate. This is for staffand volunteers. The library is runby volunteers, Carol Brinson andJo Minns and managed by Museum Historian, Danae Tankard.

Both libraries contain books, journals andother publications on a wide range ofsubjects relevant to the museum’s areas ofinterest. Many have been donated overthe years by supporters of the museumand their families, including themuseum’s Founder, Roy Armstrong (afterwhom the library is named); the millsenthusiast Frank Gregory; MarjorieHallam, a founding Trustee of the

museum; two former MuseumDirectors, Chris Zeuner andRichard Harris; the museum’sGardener, Carlotta Holt andmuseum supporter, MickCundliffe. The reference

library also houses the Worship -ful Company of Plumbers’ col-

lection of books and catalogues.New books are regularly purchased

for the library – recent additions include:The Conservation Movement - A History ofArchitectural Preservation by MilesGlendinning, Brick – A World History byJames W P Campbell (pictured), Oak byPeter Young, Textile Mills of South WestEngland by Mike Williams, Glossary ofPrehistoric and Historic Timber Buildingsedited by Lutz Volmer & W HaioZimmermann (pictured) and TheHouses of The Weald & Downland– People and Houses of South-east England c1300-1900 byDanae Tankard.

We subscribe to a range ofjournals and magazinesincluding: Sussex CountyMagazine, Sussex Notes &Queries, Folk Life, Southdown FlockBook, AIM Bulletin, VernacularArchitecture and VAG newsletter, PetworthSociety Magazine, SPAB News, SurreyArchaeological Collections, DBRG News,Archaeologica Cantiana, Local History News,Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club andArchaeological Society, Historical Churches,Context, The Building Conservation Directory,Garden History, Heavy Horse World, Sustain,

Agricultural History Review, British BrickInformation, TATHS journal, and Mortice &Tenon.

Last year displays were arranged forMuseums at Night, the Food &

South Downs Fair, Sheep &Shepherding, the thatchingdisplay in the Market Hall,the Historic ClothingExhibition, Sussex Day,Historic Gardens Week, andthe Medicine & Mortality

weekend, and the library was open during some of

these events. There are similar plans for this year, including NationalMills Weekend on 10/11 May andRemembering WWI 2-8 June.

library


Many people are unaware that the museum has a libraryrelating to our themes of vernacular architecture and rural life,and a very comprehensive one. Carol Brinson reports.

Treasures of the museum –the Armstrong library

NEW: The library catalogue can now beaccessed remotely via a new websiteconstructed by Richard Harris. Theaddress is www.wdoam.co.uk

IN BRIEFDON’T MISS OUR SMALLEREVENTS!The museum is planning a host offascinating smaller events and activitiesthis season. Some are linked to nationalcelebrations such as National MillsWeekend or the popular Museum atNight, but many are bespoke to themuseum such as the Historic Clothing &Textile Exhibition or the HistoricGardens Weekend. The Shepherding &

Shepherds’ Huts Weekend will be an opportunity to explore historicshepherding and our collection ofshepherds’ huts and their morecontemporary uses. On 13 April themuseum welcomes back the Copperfamily to sing traditional Sussex folksongs. Dave Morris, curator of aircraft atthe Fleet Air Museum will be talkingabout his new book Shepherds’ hutsand living vans. Museum directorRichard Pailthorpe will be retracingWilliam Cobbett’s ‘Rural Ride’ fromUpwaltham to Singleton on 2 August,the date it actually took place. Later

in the year the Harvesting & BrewingWeekend focuses on transformingbarley and hops into ale and beer, alongwith other crops harvested at themuseum. Bringing Home the Baconcovers the traditional pig rearing cycleand the importance it played in thecottage economy. Colour in HistoricHomes is another new event exploringthe world of domestic interiors. Datesfor all these events can be found in the What’s On calendar on page 17 and further information on some ofthem is provided elsewhere in themagazine.

1,500 -The number of publications on

mills in the library

1,200 –The number of

publications in the Worshipful Company

of Plumbers’ collection

alone

P. 19_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:38


Sustainable Construction, Restoration & Conservation

Specialists in:Modern / traditional timber framesPeriod property restorationNew build / extensionsGarden rooms / shepherd hutsNatural insulation systems

t: 07739 137204 e: [email protected]

ACCOUNTANTS, AUDITORS AND ADVISORS TO CHARITIES

We wish the Weald and Downland Open AirMuseum deserved and continuing success.

Contact: Neville Lacey 01243 789031

[email protected]

www.jonesavens.co.uk

CharteredAccountants

REW DESIGN – FURNITUREHAND MADE FURNITURE FROM RECLAIMED WOOD

A broad range of free standing furniture from kitchen and diningtables to benches, shelving units, firesurrounds, mirror surrounds and picture frames etc, etc. The characterand charm of the reclaimed wood ispreserved and cleaned only sufficientto work and finish. The completedpiece is left natural or protected witha hard wearing and environmentallyfriendly wax or paint finish.

COMMISSIONS UNDERTAKENFor more information please contact:

Richard on 01730 821562 – [email protected] – www.rew-design.co.uk

SPECIALISING IN REPAIR AND RENEWAL OF PLASTERWORK TO:HISTORIC BUILDINGS

CHURCHESLISTED BUILDINGS

TIMBER FRAMED BUILDINGS AND BUILDINGS OF ARCHITECTURAL INTEREST

RIVEN OAK/CHESTNUT/SOFT WOOD LATH WORK

HAIRED LIME PUTTY PLASTERS TO MATCH EXISTING

WATTLE AND DAUB PANELS

PERIOD CORNICE WORK

LIMEWASH/DISTEMPER

PROJECTS INCLUDE:

HISTORIC PLASTERWORK

BISHOP’S PALACE, CHICHESTERGOODWOOD HOUSE, CHICHESTER

ST PETER’S CHURCH, TITCHFIELDTHE MERCHANT’S HOUSE, MARLBOROUGH

WHITTAKER’S COTTAGES AND TINDALLS COTTAGE,WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM

and many listed buildings throughout the South of England

18 THE LEYS, SINGLETONCHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX

TEL: 01243 811863 MOB: 07775 981985EMAIL: [email protected]

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courses


Timber frames for saleThe products of the Timber framing from scratch courses have beengoing to good homes lately, one to a student on all three of the coursesduring which it was made. Another was the quickest sale ever for aframe: a lady viewed it on Friday, paid for it on Monday and hercarpenters collected it on Thursday! Two more will soon be going to a farm near Basingstoke where they will become a summerhouse/studio.

BursariesThe Historic Houses Association has once again generously supportedthe Timber Framing series of week-long courses enabling the museumto offer four half-price places. These bursary places have been allocatedand recipients are ready to take up their chosen course.

Traditional Rural Trades and Craftscourses

No less than 13 new courses appear in the 2014 programme andsome of these are fully subscribed already (please see the

museum’s website to identify these, some of which we maybe able to repeat later this year). Many have a textiletheme. In Flax to linen students will visit the smallholdingcreated around Tindalls Cottage where flax is beinggrown and will be taken through the whole process tothe production of linen yarn. Other new textiles coursesinclude Changing fashions 1300-1900, covering thesame span as the museum’s exhibit buildings; Historic

quilting, a mixture of history, theory and practice ofmedieval or Victorian techniques, and Setting up a table

loom, a two-day course which will introduce participants toweaving on a four-shaft table loom. Other new additions are

Textile jewellery, a Tapestry weekend and one which explores howmedieval folk fended off illhealth – The medievalmedicine chest. Now themuseum has anappropriate setting inTindalls Cottage we arerunning Day in aGeorgian farmhouse,packed with facts andtasks giving an insight intolife in the mid-Georgianperiod. Also on a buildingstheme is a new Woodcutprinting day: historicbuildings where studentswill take their inspirationfrom the buildings on themuseum site.

Evening talks2014 sees the seventh series of evening talks – Tales of the Downs andbeyond 2014. As part of the museum’s commemoration of the FirstWorld War three talks relate to connected themes and take place near indate to significant wartime events. Emma White, Project Officer of the WestSussex Record Office’s The Great War in Sussex, will talk about the work ofdogs in WWI and Kevin Bacon, Curator of the Indian Hospital exhibition inBrighton Pavilion will cover the Pavilion’s role in caring for war-injuredIndian soldiers. Also, museum Trustee John Godfrey will talk about theSouth Downs and the Western Front. Other talks will include one by BillGage of the West Sussex Record Office focusing on a film record of steamtrains running on our local railways. Janet Pennington will speak about thestory of Chanctonbury Ring, Heidi Herrmann will tell us about life in ahoneybee colony, and for cricket enthusiasts, brothers Peter and ChrisPyemont will recount the History of the Ashes. See page 25.

Last year a total of 326 course days took placeattended by 3,604 students, an average of 11people each day!

Historic building conservation coursesBill Sargent, renowned expert on Pargetting is returning to the museumafter a ‘rest’ of several years to deliver a day school on the history andpractice of this special decorative plastering technique. David Lilly whohas taught leaded light stained glass work in the Traditional Rural Tradesand Crafts programme for many years has added to his offer with a day school on the Restoration of leaded light windows, suitable forprofessionals and amateurs alike. The Home owners day with KevinStubbs is now in a more flexible two-day format meaning students canbook on either or both at a discount. And recently retired from EnglishHeritage, Treve Rosoman will teach a new course, Historical WallCoverings. Many other day schools and longer courses in theprogramme could almost be called perennials earning their place in the programme year on year!

MSc programmes in BuildingConservation and TimberBuilding Conservation The current rounds of these programmes are nearing theend of the taught modules and students will embark ontheir diverse personal research projects. The University ofYork, the museum’s partner for two years in delivering thecourses, has now revalidated the programmes for fourmore years. In March the application pack will be availableon the museum website for all potential 2014 students todownload in anticipation of joining the courses in the autumn.

Museum’s award-winning course programme for 2014

20 years ago –

In 1994 the museumbegan teaching its

MSc in Timber Building

Conservation

COURSE ENQUIRIESAll course enquiries should be made to the Lifelong Learning Department. Tel: 01243 811464/811931/811021. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.wealddown.co.uk. Leaflets can be posted or emailed on request and bookings can be made over the phone by credit or debit card.

T-shirts for timber-framers!

New for timber frame course participants are specially designedWeald & Downland Open Air Museum timber framers T-shirts whichcan only be claimed by people who have completed all three of theweek-long oak framing courses! If you are eligible give us a ring;we will verify your claim and send you your limited-edition T-shirt,or you can pop in to collect it.

Will Dyke’s image of Bayleaf Farmhouse.Woodcut printing: historic buildings

P. 21-24_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:39

courses 2014


Historic timber framing: modernengineering solutions Leaders: David Yeomans and JimBlackburnMonday 10 March £99

Understanding historic timberframe designLeaders: Joe Thompson and JimBlackburnTuesday 11 March £110

Oak timber framing: jowl postsLeader: Joe ThompsonMonday 17 March-Friday 21 March£520 FULLMonday 15 September-Friday 19September £520

Traditional timber framedconstructionLeader: Richard HarrisTuesday 25 March £99

Repair of timber framed buildingsLeaders: Richard Harris and JoeThompsonWednesday 26 March £99

Timber: Identification of speciesLeader: David WoodbridgeThursday 27 March £99

Conference: Wealden BuildingsStudy Group – Researching timberframed buildings in the South-East: the first 50 yearsSaturday 29 March £15

Oak timber framing: braces andstudsLeader: Joe ThompsonMonday 31 March-Friday 4 April£520 FULLMonday 13 October-Friday 17October £520

An introduction to the art ofhipped roof makingLeader: Chris ap IagoWednesday 23 April £110

Introduction to leadworkLeader: Nigel JohnstonThursday 24 April £110

Introduction to dating timber-framed buildingsLeader: Joe ThompsonFriday 25 April £99

Conservation of historic ironwork NEWLeader: Geoff WallisTuesday 29 April £99

Sash windows: history, repair &maintenanceLeaders: Stephen Bull and CharlesBrookingWednesday 30 April £99

Recording – day one: observingand sketchingLeader: Richard HarrisTuesday 6 May £99

Vernacular architecture series:farm buildingsLeaders: Bob Edwards and David MartinWednesday 7 May £99You can book all five courses in theseries for £350

Energy conservation in traditionalbuildingsLeader: Richard OxleyThursday 8 May £99

Tool sharpening: the cutting edgeLeader: Philip HodgeMonday 12 May-Tuesday 13 May £199

Recording – day two: imposing a gridLeader: Richard HarrisTuesday 13 May £99

History of wall-coverings NEWLeader: Treve RosomanWednesday 14 May £99

Oak timber framing: raftersLeader: Joe ThompsonMonday 19 May-Friday 23 May£520 FULLMonday 24 November-Friday 28November £520

Recording – day three: studiotechniquesLeader: Richard HarrisTuesday 20 May £99

Vernacular architecture series:mills as industrial buildingsLeaders: Martin Watts and GarethHughesWednesday 21 May £99You can book all five courses in theseries for £350

Jointing, pointing, re-pointinghistoric brickworkLeader: Gerard LynchMonday 2 June-Tuesday 3 June£220

Practical thatchingLeader: Chris TomkinsTuesday 3 June £150

Introduction to gauged brickworkLeader: Gerard LynchWednesday 4 June-Friday 6 June £350

Limewash, distemper & linseed-based paints: a practical workshopLeader: Sibylle HeilThursday 5 June £99

Vernacular architecture series:guildhalls, market halls &almshousesLeaders: Kate Giles and Anna HallettThursday 5 June £99You can book all five courses in theseries for £350

Timber decay and its treatmentLeader: Brian RidoutWednesday 11 June £99

An introduction to timber repairsLeader: Joe ThompsonMonday 16 June-Wednesday 18June £310

Practical introduction to cuttingtimber scarf jointsLeader: Joe ThompsonThursday 19 June-Friday 20 June £210

Vernacular architecture series:shops & innsLeaders: David Clark and JanetPenningtonThursday 19 June £99You can book all five courses in theseries for £350

A practical introduction tosignwritingLeader: Wayne OsborneMonday 23 June £99

Historic lime plaster and renderLeaders: Jeff Orton and Tim RadcliffeTuesday 24 June-Wednesday 25June £220

Fire and historic buildingsLeaders: Steve Emery, Richard Playle,Marjorie Sanders and Roger AngoldWednesday 25 June £99

Lime plasteringLeader: George TerryThursday 26 June £99

Pargetting Leader: Bill SargentFriday 27 June £99

The first straw: an introduction tostrawbale building NEWLeader: Barbara JonesSaturday 28 June £75

Vernacular architecture series:chapels and churchesLeaders: Christopher Wakeling andJenny FreemanTuesday 1 July £99You can book all five courses in theseries for £350

The roofing squareLeader: Joe ThompsonWednesday 2 July £110

Make a carpenter’s trestleLeader: Joe ThompsonFriday 4 July £110

Architectural terracottaLeader: Amy Smith Monday 7 July £99

Home owners day oneLeader: Kevin StubbsSaturday 6 September £75You can book both days for £120

Leaded light stained glassrestoration NEWLeader: David LillyTuesday 9 September £110

English brickwork: Tudor toEdwardian Leader: Gerard LynchMonday 22 September £99

Lime mortars for traditionalbrickworkLeader: Gerard LynchTuesday 23 September £110

Repair of traditionally constructedbrickworkLeader: Gerard LynchWednesday 24 September-Friday 26September £350

Wattle and daubLeader: Joe ThompsonThursday 25 September £110

Conference: History ofwoodworking tools: 50thanniversary of W L Goodman’sseminal bookTuesday 30 September £85

Home owners day twoLeader: Kevin StubbsSaturday 18 October £75You can book both days for £120

Flint wallingLeaders: Mark Middleton and ChrisRosier Tuesday 18 November-Wednesday19 November £270

Historic Building Conservation Courses

Details of the full programme of courses for 2013-2014 are available on the museum’s website, www.wealddown.co.uk.If you would like a brochure by post please ring 01243 811464.

Timber Building Conservation MSc students on a trip to Greenoak Carpentry, led by Steve Corbett.

P. 21-24_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:39

courses 2014▲

Make a Sussex trugLeader: Robin TuppenSaturday 1 March-Sunday 2 March£130 FULLSaturday 2 August-Sunday 3 August £130

Traditional English longbowLeader: John RhyderFriday 7 March-Sunday 9 March £260Friday 21 November-Sunday 23November £260

Leaded-light stained glassworkshopLeader: David LillySaturday 8 March £100 FULLSunday 9 March £100

Farmland birds NEWLeader: Jonathan MycockSaturday 8 March £15

Spinning: preparation & the dropspindleLeader: Steve KennettMonday 10 March £50 FULLSaturday 13 September £50

Spinning: an introduction to thewheelLeader: Steve KennettTuesday 11 March £50 FULLSunday 14 September £50

Ropework animalsLeader: Charlie TyrrellSaturday 15 March £50

Learn to crochetLeader: Rose SavageSunday 16 March £50

Rag ruggingLeader: Linda ChiversFriday 21 March £50Friday 25 July £50Friday 26 September £50

Coracle makingLeaders: Kevin and Ellen GrimleySaturday 22 March-Sunday 23March £250Saturday 27 September-Sunday 28September £250

Beekeeping for beginnersLeaders: Emma O’Driscoll andChristine StevensSaturday 22 March £50

Horse logging Leaders: Mark Buxton and RobertSampsonSunday 23 March £85 FULL

Hand smocked samplerLeader: Wendy TuppenSaturday 29 March £50

Tudor farmhouse day in BayleafNEWLeader: Lesley ParkerWednesday 2 April £60

Tudor Monastery Farm: guidedtours NEW2:00pm – 4:00pmFriday 4 April £20Monday 19 May £20Friday 13 June £20Tuesday 8 July £20Monday 4 August £20Monday 18 August £20

Irons in the fireLeader: Martin FoxFriday 4 April £90 FULLSaturday 5 April £90 FULLFriday 16 May £90Saturday 17 May £90 FULLFriday 1 August £90Saturday 6 September £90

Poultry husbandryLeader: David BlandSaturday 5 April £50

Bark basketryLeader: John RhyderSaturday 5 April £65 FULL

Care, management and harnessingof heavy horsesLeader: Mark BuxtonSunday 6 April £85

Exploring early medievalembroidery and art: needle workedmedieval trees NEWLeader: Tanya BenthamSunday 6 April £50

Woven tapestry weekend NEWLeader: Hilary CharlesworthSaturday 12 April-Sunday 13 April£95 FULL

Tree identification walkLeader: Jon RobertsSaturday 12 April £15

Animal trackingLeader: John RhyderSaturday 19 April £65

Pole lathe turning Leader: Mark AllerySaturday 26 April £60 FULL Sunday 27 April £60 FULLFriday 29 August £60Saturday 30 August £60

Skep makingLeader: Derek SleeSaturday 26 April-Sunday 27 April £90

Deer preparation and butchery NEWLeader: Dominic StruttSaturday 26 April £65 FULL

DowsingLeader: Pete RedmanSunday 27 April £50

Driving heavy horsesLeader: Mark BuxtonThursday 1 May £85 FULLSunday 25 May £85Thursday 12 June £85Sunday 22 June £85

Introduction to traditional dairyingLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 3 May £60 FULL

Tudor fyshe cookeryLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 10 May £60

Dawn walk with breakfastLeader: Jonathan MycockSaturday 10 May £20

Willow garden supportsLeader: Ganesh BruceSunday 11 May £75

Medieval tile makingLeader: Karen SladeSunday 11 May £110

Victorian cleaningLeader: Ruth GoodmanTuesday 13 May £60 FULL

Historic cheese makingLeader: Ruth GoodmanWednesday 14 May £60 FULL

Willow workshop: weave & wale abasketLeader: Deborah AlbonSaturday 17 May £65 FULLSaturday 12 July £65 FULL

Learn to mow using a scythe Leader: Mark AllerySaturday 17 May £60Friday 11 July £60

Hand shearingLeader: Phil HartSaturday 17 May £50

Tatting workshopLeader: Rose SavageSunday 18 May £50

Stone carving: celtic knotLeader: Will SpankieSaturday 24 May £75 FULL

Charcoal burning using atraditional earth kilnLeader: Jonathan RobertsSaturday 24 May £50

Letter carving in stoneLeader: Will SpankieSunday 25 May £75 FULL

Historic quilting day NEWLeader: Norma McCrorySunday 25 May £50 FULL

Rogation Sunday ‘Beating theBounds’ NEWLeader: Richard PailthorpeSunday 25 May £15

Flax to linen NEWLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 31 May £50 FULL

Practical poultry sessionLeader: Ken RowsellSaturday 31 May £25

Make a traditional hand-sewnbookLeader: Gaynor WilliamsSaturday 31 May £60

Using and setting up your newtable loom NEWLeader: Val ConwaySaturday 31 May-Sunday 1 June £95

Stuart farmhouse day in PendeanLeader: Lesley ParkerWednesday 4 June £60

Dusk walkLeader: Jonathan MycockFriday 6 June £15

Yeoman family fareLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 14 June £60

Patchwork for busy peopleLeader: Linda ChiversSunday 15 June £50

Museum buildings woodcuts NEWLeader: Will DykeSunday 15 June £65 FULL

The medieval medicine chest NEWLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSunday 15 June £60 FULL

Changing fashions: rural clothing1300-1900Leader: Barbara PainterWednesday 18 June £60

Natural navigation walkLeader: Tristan GooleySaturday 21 June £20

Stumpwork: dragonflies NEWLeader: Caroline VincentSunday 22 June £50

Botanical illustration.

Traditional Rural Trade & Craft Courses


P. 21-24_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:39

Natural dyeingLeader: Lesley ParkerWednesday 25 June £50

Make a felt hatLeader: Hilary CharlesworthSaturday 28 June £50

Secrets of the stillroomLeader: Christina StapleySaturday 28 June £60 FULL

Botanical illustration – cottagegarden Leader: Leigh Ann GaleSunday 29 June £60

Herbs for healthLeader: Christina StapleySaturday 10 May £60Sunday 29 June £60 FULL

Corn dolly makingLeader: Verna BaileySaturday 5 July £50Sunday 7 September £50

Peg loom weavingLeader: Hilar CharlesworthSunday 6 July £50 FULL

Bobbin lace making for beginnersLeaders: Eva Falconer and Gay McCartSunday 6 July £50

Birds of prey experienceLeader: Ray PriorTuesday 8 July £75Tuesday 29 July £75Tuesday 5 August £75

Textile jewellery NEWLeader: Linda ChiversFriday 11 July £50

Carve a wooden bowlLeaders: Jess Jay and John VardonSaturday 26 July £65 FULL

Prehistoric potteryLeader: Alison SandemanSunday 27 July and Sunday 3 August(firing day) £95

William Cobbett walk NEW Leader: Richard PailthorpeSaturday 2 Aug £15

Prehistoric tool makingLeader: John & Val LordSaturday 2 August-Sunday 3 August £100

Make a Pyecombe style crook NEWLeader: Martin FoxSaturday 2 August £90 FULLFriday 5 September £90 FULL

Bronze Age copper smeltingLeader: Fergus MiltonSunday 3 August £80

Weave a rush bagLeader: Rachel FrostThursday 7 August £60

Weave a rush hatLeader: Frost, RachelFriday 8 August £60

Make a hazel stool with a wovenwillow seatLeader: John WallerSaturday 9 August £75

Banqueting sweetmeatsLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 9 August £60

Medieval experience dayLeader: Lesley ParkerThursday 14 August £60

Netmaking NEWLeader: John HutcheonSaturday 23 August £50

Bronze Age metalwork NEWLeader: Will LordSaturday 23 August – Sunday 24August £250 FULL

Bat walkLeader: Sue HarrisFriday 29 August £10

Pole lathe improversLeader: Mark AllerySunday 31 August £60

Georgian farmhouse day in Tindalls NEWLeader: Lesley ParkerTuesday 2 September £60

Shooting the traditional longbowLeader: Jonathan DaviesSaturday 6 September £50Sunday 7 September £50

Stone carving: green manLeader: Will SpankieSaturday 6 September-Sunday 7September £150

Let food be your medicineLeader: Christina StapleyFriday 12 September £60

A-Z of medicinal trees Leader: Christina StapleySaturday 13 September £60

Learn knife skills and carve awooden spoon Leader: Owen ThomasSaturday 13 September £50 FULL

Tudor brewing & bakingLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 13 September £60

Tapestry weaving: weave alandscapeLeader: Hilary CharlesworthSunday 14 September £50

Tudor & Victorian hair & make-upLeader: Ruth GoodmanWednesday 17 September £60

A history of knitting from the Tudorperiod onwardsLeader: Ruth GoodmanThursday 18 September £60 FULL

Wild food: hedgerow gourmet NEWLeader: John RhyderSaturday 20 September £65 FULL

Hedgerow preservesLeader: Cathy Flower-Bond Sunday 21 September £60

Traditional rake makingLeader: Mark AllerySaturday 4 October £60

Poultry husbandryLeader: David BlandSaturday 4 October £50

Make a leather belt pouchLeader: Emma O’DriscollSunday 5 October £65

Make a stained glass copper foil boxLeader: David LillySaturday 18 October £100

Botanical illustration – autumngarden NEWLeader: Leigh Ann GaleSunday 19 October £60

Learn to knitLeader: Rose SavageSunday 19 October £50

Weekend wood carvingLeaders: Jess Jay and John VardonSaturday 25 October-Sunday 26October £130

Inkle loom weavingLeader: Steve KennettSaturday 25 October-Sunday 26October £95

Small game preparation andbutchery NEWLeader: Dominic StruttSunday 26 October £65 FULL

Ploughing with heavy horsesLeaders: Mark Buxton and JohnMcDermottSaturday 1 November £85Sunday 2 November £85Sunday 7 December £85

An introduction to chair makingLeader: Mervyn MewisSaturday 1 November £75

An introduction to coppicemanagementLeaders: John Lindfield and JonRobertsSaturday 1 November £50

Tudor bakehouse: pies & pastriesLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSunday 2 November £60

Victorian papier mache ChristmasdecorationsLeader: Linda ChiversFriday 7 November, Friday 21November (two linked half daysessions) £50

Print your own woodcut ChristmascardLeader: Will DykeSaturday 8 November £65Sunday 9 November £65

Christmas stain glass decorationsLeader: David LillySaturday 22 November £100

Woven hurdle makingLeader: John LindfieldSaturday 22 November-Sunday 23November £165

Candlelit walkLeader: Jon RobertsFriday 28 November £15

Tudor Christmas foodLeader: Cathy Flower-Bond Friday 5 December £60 Sunday 7 December £60

Warming winter remediesLeader: Christina StapleyFriday 12 December £60

Herbal Christmas gifts &decorationsLeader: Christina StapleySaturday 13 December £60

courses 2014

▲

Changing fashions: rural clothing 1300-1900.

Details of the full programme of courses for 2013-2014 are available on the museum’s website, www.wealddown.co.uk.If you would like a brochure by post please ring 01243 811464.


Traditional Rural Trade & Craft Courses

P. 21-24_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:39

talks 2014


The surreal life and archiveof Edward James Tuesday 22 April The man known as Edward James islargely a myth, a myth defined by theadjectives used to describe him –eccentric, wealthy, illegitimate, collector,surrealist . . . The godson of KingEdward VII, Edward James transformedhis life from that of a young manexpected to grow up as a typicalcountry gentleman with the usual ruralpreoccupations of the landed gentry ofthe early 20th century, to onecommitted to personal freedom in allhis activities, seeking to transformsociety, not by directly attacking theentrenched power structures, but byaffecting people’s values by changingthe way he lived and behaved. This talkwill examine Edward James’ lifethrough his archival material beginningwith his American roots and exploringthe path James’ life took that led himfrom West Dean, a 6,000 acre estatein Chichester, West Sussex in England,to the jungles of Xilitla, Mexico, wherehe created his ‘Garden of Eden’. one ofthe most extraordinary surrealistwonders of the world. At the end ofthe talk there will be an opportunity toexamine some of the archivalfragments Edward James left behind.Dr Sharon-Michi Kusunoki hascontributed to several internationalpublications and has lectured andwritten extensively on Edward James,his archives and his ‘collecting’activities. She was curator of thehighly acclaimed exhibition, A SurrealLife, Edward James at the BrightonMuseum & Art Gallery (1998) andhas also curated exhibitions on BritishSurrealism, Lee Miller, Man Ray, AnaMaria Pacheco as well as havingcurated a number of exhibitions oncontemporary artists. Dr Kusunoki wasresponsible for the formation of TheEdward James Cultural Archive havingsourced, identified, and amalgamatedfragments of James’ correspondenceleft in suitcases, packing cases andtrunks throughout the world. DrKusunoki is currently working on abiography of Edward James as well asan anthology of the letters of EdwardJames with Professors Dawn Adesand Christopher Green. Dr Kusunokireceived her doctorate from theCourtauld Institute of Art.

Steaming through theSouth Monday 28 AprilAn evening of archival railway filmfeaturing the days of steam includingthe Pulborough to Petersfield line, theHayling Island branch, the Cuckoo line(Polegate to Tunbridge Wells) and thesix mile Crab & Winkle line in Kentbuilt in 1830. The latter was the thirdrailway ever to be built and the first tocarry passengers regularly. Bill Gage is Assistant County Archivistat the West Sussex Record Office. Hehas a lifelong interest in railwayswhich began at the age of threeriding behind his father’s passenger-carrying model steam locomotives. Helectures and writes on local railwayhistory and was the Secretary of theChichester & District Society of ModelEngineers for 20 years.

An artists’ village – G.F. &Mary Watts in ComptonWednesday 7 May In his own lifetime George FredericWatts (1817-1904) was widelyconsidered to be the greatest painterof the Victorian age, enjoying anunparalleled reputation. A complexfigure, Watts was the finest and mostpenetrating portraitist of his age, asculptor, landscape painter andsymbolist which earned him the title‘England’s Michelangelo.’ He first methis wife Mary in 1870, becoming her unofficial tutor. After initiallydiscouraging her affections the couplewere married in 1886. This talk tellsthe story of these two interestingindividuals and the hidden gem oftheir artists’ village nested in the SurreyHills, which includes Limnerslease,their home and studio, the WattsChapel and the Watts Gallery, runner-up on BBC’s Restoration Village.

Jane Turner is the Chief Guide at theWatts Gallery. The Watts Gallery, whichopened its doors to the public in1904, is a purpose-built art gallerycreated for the display of works by theVictorian artist George Frederic WattsOM RA (1817-1904). After a majorrestoration project, visitors can nowexperience the Watts Collection.

The modern kitchengarden Wednesday 14 MayThis is a talk in three parts, coveringthe traditional aproach to growingvegetables, moving on to containergrowing for those with limited space,and finally to raised bed cultivation.Barry Newman is the Chairman ofThe National Vegetable Society.

Secrets of the Mary Rose Monday 19 May The Mary Rose, built some 500 yearsago, was commissioned and servedKing Henry VIII well for some 35 yearsbefore capsizing and sinking in front of the King on 19 July 1545. Some20,000 items were recovered fromthe hull following its discovery in thelate 1960’s. What do they tell us aboutlife on board? What weapons werefitted and how were they used? Whatwas their diet and how was theirhealth? How did they pass their timeand where did the ship go? The talkrelates the extraordinary story behindthe artefacts now on display in thenew Mary Rose Museum.

Michael Hill joined the Royal Navy in1954. During the next 30 years hevisited most places in the world,serving on ships from frigates toaircraft carriers and achievingpromotion through the ranks fromJunior Stores Assistant to LieutenantCommander. Mike was flying homefrom the Falklands in October 1982when the Mary Rose was raised fromthe Solent and returned to Portsmouthafter an absence of 437 years. Hisavid interest in naval history wasrewarded a few months later when hejoined the project as an accountanton his retirement from the Royal Navy.After 11 years’ close involvement withthe project he retired as Director ofFinance & Trading in 1994.

Boxgrove – site of theearliest human remains inBritain Thursday 22 MayThe earliest human remains in Britainwere found at a gravel quarry inBoxgrove, West Sussex along withnumerous flint tools and remains ofanimals. Mark Roberts of UniversityCollege London led the excavationteam between 1983 and 1996. Hearhis fascinating stories about one ofBritain’s most important archaeologicalsites and understand more aboutBritain half a millon years ago. Mark Roberts has led research atBoxgrove since 1982. His researchinterests include the early humancolonisation of Europe, MiddlePleistocene chronostratigraphy, itsimpact upon archaeological theory,and hominin behaviour during theMiddle Pleistocene. Mark is a memberof the Arbeitsgruppe Mauer, based inHeidelberg, which is researching thechronology, palaeoenvironments andbehaviour of Middle Pleistocenehominids belonging to the speciesHomo heidelbergensis. He is also theprinciple British contributor to theEuropean Science Foundation work-shop on the earliest occupation ofEurope. In 1994/95, he was awardedthe Stopes medal for services toQuaternary geology and Palaeolithicarchaeology.

The Indian hospital Tuesday 3 JuneBetween December 1914 and January1916 Brighton’s Royal Pavilion wasused as a hospital for Indian soldierswounded on the battlefields of theWestern Front. But why was thiseccentric building used as a hospital?And why were Indian troops soimportant to the British war effort atthis time? This talk will look at thepolitical aspects of the Pavilionhospital, and explore how the seasidefolly of a disreputable monarch cameto be used as a symbol of thebenevolence and understanding of theBritish Empire.Kevin Bacon is Digital DevelopmentOfficer at the Royal Pavilion andMuseums. He has worked for theorganisation for over 10 years, andhas held a variety of roles includingthat of its first (and last) Curator ofPhotographs. He was co-curator of thepermanent Indian Hospital gallery in

the Royal Pavilion, which opened in2010.

The work of dogs in WWIThursday 12 June The role of dogs during the First WorldWar is often overlooked. Although theyonly played a small role in the BritishArmy, it can be seen as a significantstep forward to the use of militaryworking dogs today. This talk will focuson the British use of dogs during thewar, specifically as messengers on theWestern Front. Recruitment, trainingand use during the last year of the warwill be uncovered and also the ways inwhich they may have been used hadthe war not ended in 1918. Emma White a graduate of QueenMary College, University of Londonwith a BA Honours in History, Emmahas worked in the Borough Archivesfor the London Boroughs of Bromleyand Croydon. While at Croydon shebegan a Masters Degree in BritishFirst World War Studies. In January2013 she was appointed to hercurrent position as the HeritageProject Manager for West SussexCounty Council managing their WestSussex and the Great War Project.Having completed her Masters degreein the autumn of 2013 shegraduated last December. The subjectof her Masters dissertation was theuse of dogs during the First WorldWar, specifically the British MessengerDog Service. She hopes to continueresearch into the use of dogs by allthe major combatants to PhD level.

A brief history ofastronomyMonday 16 JuneThis talk will cover the development ofthe understanding of our place in theUniverse, from the Ancient Greeks tothe accelerating universe. John Gribbin studied astronomy atSussex and Cambridge in the 1960s,but he is best known as the author ofpopular science books, including InSearch of Schrödinger’s Cat and TheUniverse: a Biography and he alsowrites science fiction.

Chantonbury ring: thestory of a Sussex landmark Monday 23 JuneChanctonbury Ring on the SouthDowns has been an iconic landmark forSussex inhabitants and visitors for over200 years. However, the ring of trees,most of which were destroyed by thegreat storm of 1987 and replanted in1990, covers another ring, the c.750 BC(Late Bronze Age) earthwork, or hillfort.This earlier ring, which contains theremains of a Romano-Celtic andRomano-British temple complex, has avery special atmosphere that drawspeople to it. Set within a much olderlandscape, it also attracted the 16-year-old Charles Goring of Wiston House,who planted his beeches and othertrees around the perimeter in 1760, ‘onsome auspicious day’, as his poem of1828 reveals. This richly illustrated talkreveals the history of the area, a murderon the hill in 1330, the tree species

Tales of the downs and beyond… A series of fascinating evening talks at the museum, beginning at 6.30pm with tea/coffee and cake servedfrom 6.00pm. The ticket allows entrance to the museum site from 4.00pm on the day of the talk. All talkscost £12 per person, £10 for Friends of the Museum, £5 for volunteers. Pre-booking is required – call 01243 811021, email [email protected]

The Watts Gallery, subject ofthe evening talk on 7 May.

▲

continued on page 38

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collections

‘GOLDHANGER’ PLOUGH Providing an unusual and unrelated link with our Wealden house, Bayleaf, I was contacted in the autumn by Peter Bassett of the Bough Beech VisitorCentre in Kent (the construction of the reservoir was the reason that Bayleafwas transferred to the museum). Peter wished to donate a very early andiconic plough: whilst our plough collection is very well represented, this wasan example which we didn’t have. The plough had originally belonged tolocal residents Robert and Jane Hale, and although this particular plough haslittle known provenance, the ‘Goldhanger’ type of plough has an interestinghistory dating back to its conception in about 1795 by farmer William Bentallwho lived in Goldhanger, Essex. He designed an iron plough attached to awooden frame which became so popular, first amongst his neighbours and then more widely, that he swapped farming for iron foundingand began producing ploughs under the Bentall company name. Production of this type of plough lasted well into the late 19th centuryand its popularity enabled William’s company to branch out into other areas of agricultural machinery production until, by the early 20thcentury, they were manufacturing engines and motor cars. During the two World Wars, like so many other companies, production wasgiven over to munitions and vehicle parts although the company continued in various guises until it’s eventual closure in 1984.


Maintenance & ConservationCOWFOLD BARNThe museum’s 16th century barn fromCowfold in West Sussex which forms an integral part of the Bayleaf Tudorfarmstead is heavily used by school groupsand museum demonstrators primarily inconnection with the purpose for which itwas originally built – the processing andstorage of arable crops. Threshing forms anintegral part of this and as such, the floorreceives quite a lot of wear and tear as the cereals are pounded withtraditional flails. The floor was originally constructed to take account of thisand when the barn was re-erected at the museum in the 1980s a similarlyrobust structure was laid. Over time, use and the weather took their toll onthe timbers and in 2013 we decided to repair the floor. When Collections Teammember Guy Viney removed the floor boards he discovered that at some pointthe floor had been reinforced by infilling the voids between the bearers withcompacted ballast but this had also accelerated the decay of the timbers. Newbearers have since been installed and the floor boards reinstated so that thethreshing floor can continue to be used for the purpose for which it wasconstructed some 470 years ago.

CORBELSWhen people clear out their sheds andgarages, all sorts of things come to lightwhich have been kept for many years fornostalgic reasons or ‘just in case’. WhenAlan Christmas was helping to clear hismother Joyce’s garage, he came across abox of fantastically carved building timberswhich turned out to be corbels – a type ofbracket designed to support the weight of a

protruding structure above a window or parapet. These three matching corbels,carved with detailed, moustachioed faces were acquired by his grandfather whowas a builder in north London and had collected them during the demolition ofan apparently Elizabethan house. Unfortunately, no further solid facts wereavailable, but they provide us with a superb example of the carpenter’s craft.

FIREBACK AND LEVELSThe museum received a call from Sheila Birkett of Haslemere who was about to move houseregarding ‘various tools’ acquired by her latehusband over many years. Beside some fairlyordinary, but interesting, agricultural forks andcross-cut saws, were two of the longest spirit

levels I can everremember seeing;the shorter onebeing a mere 98in(2.5m) in lengthwhilst the long onewas a colossal126in (3.2m) long.We already have

other large levels used by builders in the collectionbut not of such length. Collections volunteer JudyHerbert, who also works at Petworth House, saidshe had heard of such items being used by estategardeners to level lawns, so it may be that this wasthe use of the long level in Mrs Birkett’s ownership.In addition to items which a donor thinks you willwant is often the odd item which they think youwon’t, but they show you anyway. Such things oftenturn out to be by far the most interesting! I wasgreatly surprised when Sheila uncovered a veryrusty but fabulously decorated fireback, whichalthough cracked, was cast with its date ofmanufacture, 1594. An enquiry to fireback expertJeremy Hodgkinson brought the response thatalthough he couldnot recall havingseen one quite likeit before, it is likelyto have been cast inthe Weald, and thatit is a rare example.

New Acquisitions

Robert E Rodrigues

Reliable Effective Research

Your house in its historical context33 Queen Anne House, Admiralty Road, Portsmouth PO1 3GT. Tel: 023 9285 1789

Julian Bell

P. 26-29_P. 3- 21/02/2014 08:14

Arthur Thomas Plewis was born ineastern Kent in 1906 when the cer-tainties and traditions of 19th centurycountry life were beginning to bechanged by the demands of an indus-trial society.

Arthur’s working life began in 1921 andended with his retirement in 1971. He saysin his memoirs that he was “. . . not educated – I had only elementary educa-tion – the rest was sweat and blisters”. Heserved 10 years of apprenticeship, five ofthese in wheelwrighting and five in general building trades. For 20 years afterhis apprenticeship, Arthur was generalforeman in charge of 15 men in a wheel-wrighting, building and undertaking business. He took over the business in1950 running it until his retirement.

Six months after he left school at theage of 14, Arthur embarked on his appren-ticeship as a wheelwright. On his first dayat work he recalled cycling four miles fromhis home “uphill drag all the way with anor-easter blowing and snowing . . .” to cut firewood on a dark winter’s morning.Arthur later learned that every piece offirewood he sawed was inspected by hisemployer, Mr Harryman, who measuredhis progress in learning to use a saw “correctly and to saw straight and square”.Mr Harryman, a respected craftsman anddevout Methodist, would prove an exact-ing, but fair, master.

That first year of apprenticeship wasrecalled by Arthur in later years. A “collarand tie and clean boots every morningeven if they be dirty in half an hour” wereexpected. Bad weather work includedsharpening workshop and outside tools,planing elm coffin-boards - warm work inwinter, but “made the arms and shouldersache”.

Arthur was provided with his ownbench. In addition to other tasks, he wasentrusted with turning, wire brushing andweighing down elm coffin boards regularlyto prevent the green wood from warping.

It took “8 hours to make, pitch, polish andtrim elm; 12 hours for oak, the reasonbeing that it took longer to beeswax oakthan spirit-polish elm.”

When the weather improved, Arthurwas given outdoor work including roof-ing, bricklaying, plastering and painting. Asthe weather warmed, his initial disillusion-ment with the trade eased and he “took ona more interested frame of mind towardsthe work and future”.

As time went on and as his skills werehoned, Arthur developed a more sympa-thetic view of the craft he was learning. Herealised that “wood is a living companionin its feel to the hand and in some other

sense (sixth, or call it what you will) it talksto him in some way and will tell him if itis suitable for the stresses and strains it willbe called upon to endure”. This intimaterelationship with the materials of the tradewas epitomised by the “guv’nor”, MrHarryman, who once observed, as Arthurwas planing a piece of oak, “that doesn’tsay much, son”. On another occasion,Arthur was told, “that’s singing nicely”.

His first work as an apprentice wheel-wright was in barrow-making and repair.Barrows were needed for much clay wasdug in the Isle of Grain, bordering on theThames estuary. Later he moved on tospoke-making for both fruit-ladders andwheels. The principal tools of his tradewere the axe and adze, jack- and tri-planes,compass-plane, compasses and gauges,drawknife and spokeshave.

Arthur’s working world was changingeven before he started as a wheelwright.He maintains that “prior to the 1914 warthe main work was wheelwright andundertaker”. This view is reinforced by thedesign of David Harryman’s letterhead.Arthur continues: “. . . changes started afterthe aforesaid war. Tractors began to appearand wagons were converted to be towedby tractor”.

By his sixth or seventh year of appren-ticeship, Arthur was becoming a craftsmanwith professional pride in his abilities. Hesaid there was truth in an old saying that “apoor wheelwright will make a first-classmaster carpenter but a first-class master carpenter will not make even a poorwheelwright”. Whilst there is a good dealof professional snobbery in this, it was probably true that the heavier pieces ofwood and consequently heavier tools didmake a difference as did the very specialisedjoints needed in wheelwrighting.

During his apprenticeship, Arthur found

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Arthur Plewis, Wheelwright.

Ken Smith writes about oneof the most interesting setsof objects in the museum’scollection

ArthurPlewis – a mastercraftsman

Arthur Plewis, left, with apprentice,Granville ‘Gran’ Bush, taken on in 1952.


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time to go to night school, learn to playthe violin and pursue his boyhood interestsin nature study and ornithology. As ayoung craftsman, Arthur learned to respectthe old ‘wrights’ he met. He realised thatby the standards of his time these mencould be classed as ignorant – many beingunable to read or write. Yet Arthur saw thatby rule of thumb and measuring-rod andeye their pieces were made “square andtrue from the start” and that the ultimatesuccess of a wagon depended wholly uponthis beginning. Arthur’s generation wasprobably the last to see and work withthese traditional craftsmen.

So too, in painting and decorating.Arthur recalls spending many hours, as anapprentice, grinding pigment in a painters’mill. In the late 1920s, ready-mixed paintsin tins were introduced. The additionalskill of grinding and blending pigment toget the correct shade of paint marked thepainter from ‘brushmen’ who simplyapplied the paint.

In 1930, Arthur built his last completewagon from start to finish – a straw in thewind showing the way agriculture waschanging. In that year also, his oldemployer, the ‘guv’nor’, retired and offeredArthur the chance to take over. After much

thought and with advice from his family,Arthur declined: “I wasn’t old enough anddidn’t feel I could boss men I had beenapprenticed under”. He went on tobecome general foreman under a newboss. At its peak, the business employed 15men plus Arthur. By this time, Arthur wasearning a respectable wage of 48 shillingsper week, up from his apprentice wage of18 shillings.

During the 1930s, Arthur notes, “wheel-wrighting started to get less . . . the advanceof the tractor and the retreat of the farm-horse had really begun.” He recalled thatalthough mass-produced tractor-trailers“priced us out” the traditional wheel-wrighting skills were still needed when asoften happened, the new wagons madewith pneumatic-tyred wheels continued tobe furnished with traditional leaf-springs.These, Arthur realised, were unnecessary asthe tyres gave the spring. What was worsewas that the pneumatic-tyred wheels hadonly half the diameter of the traditionalwooden wheel so that the body of thetrailer was often mired with mud andwater. When this caused differential rustingand seizure of the springs, twisting of thetrailer body could occur. Arthur solved thisproblem by substituting beech blocks for

the superfluous springs. The worldwide recession of the 1930s

was felt even in Arthur’s remote part ofKent. During much of the decade hefound himself carrying out more generalbuilding and decorating jobs than wheel-wrighting ones as his firm diversified toremain competitive.

Working with hand-tools (and a com-plete lack of Health and Safety rulings),Arthur outlined the injuries that couldcome to a wheelwright. There was alwaysthe risk of cuts from the razor-sharp axesand adzes or blows from hammer and mallet. The latter produced the worstwounds in Arthur’s experience “as itbruises internally without breaking theskin”. A lifetime of jarring caused by axe, saw or adze eventually resulted in“wheeler’s shoulder”. Arthur reflected rue-fully on how, in his later years, he wouldneed to be helped into his jacket as hisshoulders seized up painfully.

By 1939 with the onset of hostilities,Arthur, with his long experience of under-taking and dealing with corpses, wasdeemed fit to be sent into the MortuarySquad of the newly-formed ARP (Air-Raid-Precautions) unit. The expected massbombings - and resultant mass casualties -fortunately did not happen in 1939/40 soArthur was re-enrolled as a firewatcherinstead. By the summer and autumn of1940, the war had come a lot closer toArthur’s corner of England as the Battle ofBritain and then the ‘blitz’ on Londonintensified. During this time, Arthur waskept busy fire watching after 10-hourworking days and had to get by on two-three hours’ sleep per night. He recalledmany high explosive and incendiarybombs being scattered in nearby fields asGerman bombers fled fighters. On oneoccasion, whilst repairing a corn-elevator,he was forced to take cover underneath itas an aerial dogfight erupted overhead“with the air full of the sound of fallingobjects and the spent rounds hummingand rattling on the boards above me”.

Indirect effects of the war can bededuced from Arthur’s account books ofthe period. For example, we read that on29 April 1940 blackout shutters were fittedat Parker’s shop in the village while lessthan a month later, on 18 May, Arthurconstructed an air-raid shelter for HighHalstow Primary School. Later still, on

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Arthur’s drawing of the interior of his workshop.

Two sets of headings for the firm where Arthur served his apprenticeship, eventually taking it over in 1949.


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1 December, he had to replace eightsquare feet of glass at Beatty cottages, presumably the result of bomb-blast.

As the war ground on, Arthur’s olderskills came into play again as horses madea brief comeback on local farms in the faceof petrol rationing and the lack of rawmaterials. In March 1943, he was requiredto repair a “number1 wagon” utilising oldcart-rods and second-hand ladder-hooks.In the final two years of war, Arthur’s corner of Kent became again, as he termedit, “a bomb-alley”. V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket attacks intensified. We mightguess that the 28 pieces of window glassneeded for the property of Mr F Osentonwas the result of a V-1 blast on 26 August1944. Arthur remembered that on oneclear morning on his daily cycle-ride towork, he saw the “vapour corkscrew-liketrail of a V-2 leaving its pad in Holland. Isearched the sky to see it in flight but Inever did nor heard anything until theexplosion in London direction”. Onanother morning, a V-2 exploded in theriver just a mile and a half away.

After the war, Arthur’s work moved overalmost exclusively to general building plusundertaking. During the cold and longwinter of 1947, heavy snowfall createdproblems as the roads to outlying villagesbecame blocked. Arthur’s records of thetime reveal an exceptional number ofdeaths, averaging two per week, presumablycaused by the bitter weather. This resultedin Arthur having to walk, sometimes forseveral miles, over the snowbound country-side to carry out his sad duties as the localundertaker.

On one memorable day that winter, hewas required to dig a grave. He recalls: “. . . there was a freezing wind blowing fullof fine snow and I struck water two feetdown . . . I had to go back to the yard tochange from wellingtons to thigh-boots.Bill (assistant) came to bail out one end ofthe grave whilst I dug at the other. Thereason for Bill’s being needed was when Iwas bailing out, the fork and spade gotfrozen over with a layer of ice and when Iwas scraping this off the water was catch-ing up on me”. Eventually the grave wasdug and Arthur and Bill changed hurriedlyinto dark suits to be bearers for the coffin.They then had to change back into theirwork-clothes to fill in the grave. The two-foot high heap of frozen soil and clay overthe grave, instead of the even surface henormally produced, outraged Arthur’s pro-fessional pride. However, no more couldbe done that day as darkness was falling.Overnight there was a sudden thaw andwhen Arthur returned the next day, thegrave had sunk by four feet allowing himto fill in the remaining, now thawed, soiland flatten the site.

In 1948, Arthur noted that he had hisfirst week’s holiday with pay. In his previ-ous 27 years, he had had just one weekoff – without pay! Ironically, in the follow-ing year, Arthur was off work for eight

months following a serious motorcycleaccident in which he suffered a fracturedskull. Whilst convalescing from this, he wasoffered the business he had worked in sincehe had been a boy. He now took it on,employing two men as well as himself.Over the next year or so, the businessslowly grew comprising his familiar occu-pations of building, decorating, undertak-ing and occasional wheelwrighting.

In 1952, Arthur took on an apprentice,Granville Bush, always known as ‘Gran’.The working relationship between Arthurand Gran seems to have mirrored thatbetween Arthur and his ‘guv’nor’, MrHarryman. In both cases, the older crafts-man could see the potential in the youngerman. Gran was called up for his NationalService in 1955 and the fact that he regu-larly spent most of his leaves from thearmy back working with Arthur says muchabout the bond between them.

Special formulaApart from their mainstay occupations,Arthur recalled how other jobs sometimescame their way – re-erecting a wartimeNissen hut, rendering houses, fitting stovesand ovens, making barn doors and re-glassing a greenhouse. Arthur confessesthat his special formula for render was toadd a pint of fresh cow manure to“creamed” cement and thus fortified “itwould stand the weather for years”. Wemight wonder what his customers wouldhave thought of this had they known!

Building work, decorating and under-taking continued to form the bulk ofArthur’s work for the remainder of hiscareer. In 1970 he learned that the lease onthe great tithe barn that had been hisworkshop throughout his working life, hadonly a year to run. The Church, whichowned the site, had decided to sell it whenthe lease was up. Arthur offered the busi-ness to Gran who declined, saying he

would rather work for someone else thanrun his own business - rather as Arthurhimself had felt when Mr Harrymanretired.

Having decided to retire and having set-tled Gran’s future, Arthur’s next concernwas the fate of the tools and equipment hehad amassed over his years of work. As hesaid: “. . . how old these tools were I couldnot say but over a hundred years at leastperhaps from the very beginning of thebusiness . . .”

Hearing of his imminent retirement, alocal paper ran a story on him and his longcareer in the old thatched barn. A nationalpaper and local TV noticed this unusualnews item. This alerted the Weald &Downland Open Air Museum that wasactively searching for the contents of awheelwright’s shop – “all hand-work, nomachines.” After a series of meetings, themuseum agreed to accept Arthur’s gener-ous offer of not only his tools and equip-ment but his records too. Arthur recalls: “A load had been lifted off my mind as Ihad been worried what was going to happen to it all.” The museum took chargeof some four-five lorry-loads of tools, documents and kit together with Arthur’sreserves of oak and ash to use in the repairof historic buildings on the museum’s WestSussex site.

Arthur had spent his entire working lifein a great thatched tithe barn (one of thelast in Kent) initially as apprentice andemployee, latterly as master in his ownright. His drawings of the exterior andinterior views of the barn show its features.The interior views were clear enough tohelp museum staff identify many of theindividual tools Arthur had donated.

Arthur Plewis, Master Craftsman, retiredin 1971, exactly 50 years after starting hisapprenticeship. This allowed him a luxuryhe had never before known: “to do thethings I liked best, when I liked . . .”

collections


Arthur’s workshop set up in the stable from Watersfield during the 1980s.

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A ‘Rare’ OpportunityTo Support Our Biggest

Show Of The Year!What to treat that special person?

If your special person has everything,why not sponsor a class at our

Rare & Traditional Breeds Show whichtakes place on Sunday 20th July 2014?

The Museum has supported smallholders across thesouth east since the show started 29 years ago, theysecure the future of the rarest of farm animals, and we are proud to showcase them at our delightful agricultural show. Whatever your farmyard favourites,why not help us continue our support by sponsoringan animal class for judging this year?

Sponsorship costs £35 per class(£70 for cattle)

You will be providing valuable support for the event,and will receive two free tickets to the Show, (a family ticket for a cow class) and a credit in the Show Programme! And by declaring your support byGift Aid will mean that we can reclaim the tax paid andsave 25p in the £. – Thank you so much!

Rare & Traditional Breeds Show – Sunday 20th July 2014

I wish to support the event by donating the sum of £ .....................to sponsor a sheep / pig / goat / cattle class (delete as appropriate)

If you have a favourite breed you would like to sponsor, pleaseindicate below and we will try to match your request to a class.

.........................................................................................Breed requested

Please treat this sponsorship as a Gift Aid donation (delete if not appropriate)

Class sponsored in the name of .............................................................

Name of sponsor ..................................... Signature ...............................

Address .........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

Post code................................................... Date .......................................

Please return to Julie Aalen, Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0EU

✂

Julian R A LivingstoneChartered Architect

Specialising in the conservation of historic buildings,providing unique and imaginative designs for

refurbishments, alterations and extensions to cottages and country houses, barns and listed buildings,

garages and garrets.

Julian R A Livingstone Chartered ArchitectBAHons DipArch(Leic) GradDiplConservation(AA) RIBA IHBCDahlia Cottage Vicarage Lane Upper Swanmore Hampshire SO32 2QT

t + f – 01489 893399 mobile – 07 720 75 87 64e – [email protected] w – julianlivingstone.co.uk

Telephone: 01243 865771www.eachiverton.co.uk

Main contractor for the Downland Gridshell

Over 60 years of craftsmanship in residential,community and commercial projects


Dear Friend of the MuseumAfter much thought, discussion and consultation it has been decided by theFriends committee and the museum management that the administration ofthe Friends be transferred to the museum itself from the end of 2014.

The proposed administrative change would not mean that the Friends ceased toexist, but that the organisation would become part of the museum management struc-ture rather than running alongside it. We want to reassure you that no changes areplanned as regards Friends benefits.

The current Friends committee members have agreed to stay in place throughout2014 to plan and implement the necessary changes in conjunction with themuseum management.

Many other heritage attractions have followed this course in the past fewyears very successfully. There are a number of reasons for this changebeing proposed –• The museum’s fundraising activities need to be intensified over the

next few years given the major developments planned. To this end, asingle corporate brand would be much more effective than havingduplication.

• It will also be important that one organisation is the source of all com-munications to prevent mixed messages about developments and events.

• Some duplication of effort and additional administration is caused by the Friendsbeing a separate registered charity. The change can enable this to be streamlined.

• We feel that the Friends administration can be strengthened in time as the museumhas a wider range of skills available including staff resources when the Friends’ secretary is not in the office.Since its establishment in 1970 the Friends has grant-aided the museum to the tune

of some £2.5 million. It remains one of the largest museum Friends groups in thecountry, with some 4,500 members, representing more than 9,600 individuals. Themuseum management is very appreciative of this support over many years and wouldlike to take this opportunity to thank you.

You are warmly invited to the Friends AGM on Saturday 12 April at 2.30pm whenthe Friends committee will be on hand to answer questions and Paul Rigg, MuseumChairman, and Richard Pailthorpe, Museum Director, will speak about future plans andanswer any other questions you may have.

Sarah Casdagli Chairman of the Friends

friends’ newsWe’re looking forward to meeting our members at the museum duringthe year! And thank you all for your support.

Notice is hereby given that theAnnual General Meeting of theFriends of the Weald and DownlandOpen Air Museum will be held at2.30pm on 12 April 2014 in theDownland Gridshell at the Museum,Singleton, Chichester.

Agenda1. Apologies for Absence2. Minutes of the 44th Annual General

Meeting3. Matters Arising from the Minutes4. Chairman’s Report5. Proposals from the Committee for

Honorary Membership of the Friends6. Treasurer’s Report7. To approve the Trustees Report and

Accounts for the year to 31 December2013

8. Re-appointment of Neville Lacey ofJones Avens as Independent Examiner

9. Appointment of Officers and electionof Committee Members

10. To discuss in principle the winding upof the Friends.

11. Any Other BusinessNote: Nominations for officers andcommittee members should be made inwriting and accompanied by the signedapproval of the nominee to reach the Hon.Secretary, Friends of the Weald andDownland Open Air Museum, Singleton,Chichester, PO18 0AW by 21 March 2013.Gift Aid: We now show the gift aid status ofeach member on their membership renewaldocument. If a gift aid box appears on yourrenewal and you can help in this way, please

compete the form and return it to theFriends office. Nearly 70% of members havesigned up with us for Gift Aid and if we canincrease this figure we will be able, from the20% tax refund from the government, tohelp the Museum with further grants.Direct Debit: Around 40% ofsubscriptions are now paid by Direct Debitand this helps us avoid ever increasingpostage costs and much administrativeeffort. We give the opportunity formembers to pay by direct debit onmembership renewal forms, so pleaseconsider making this change in paymentmethod where possible.Online Banking Payment: In 2012 weintroduced the facility for online paymentand members are increasingly taking upthis option. Details are on the membershiprenewal form. Please remember, though, togive your membership number as areference with your payment. Without thiswe can have difficulty tracing whichmember has made the payment.

Friends AGM – 12 April, 2.30pm in the Downland Gridshell


Once again we will be holding our annualevening of music, dance and fun for all ageson Saturday 14 June in the DownlandGridshell building starting at 6.00pm. Please

bring your picnic supper and drinks.There will be a fundraising raffle.

We look forward to meeting upagain with our regular guestsand meeting newcomers.

Ticket prices are still thesame! £10 adult, £6 childand £25 family (2 adults

2 children), available fromthe museum shop and by

telephone, 01243 811020.

Barn Dance with SallyWilton and the OddBodds – 14 June

This year we will again be posting theaccounts in full on the museum’s website. To access the accounts, go tohttp://www.wealddown.co.uk/. Select the‘Help us’ tab and then the ‘Join the Friends’tab. You will see ‘Friends Accounts 2013’under the ‘Help us’ menu bar on the left ofthe screen. If you do not have access to theinternet and wish to see the accounts, theywill be available at the AGM on 12 April2014 or are obtainable from the Friendsoffice on 01243 811893.

Friends Accounts 2013

See more about the Friends’

contribution to the museum on

page 6

P. 31_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:41

museum trustees


The Trustees are the governing body ofthe charity, responsible for controlling itsmanagement and administration and forappointing its Director (or chief execu-

tive). They are volunteers, receiving nopayment, and work together as a teamwith collective responsibility. Trustees havelegal responsibilities and duties of pru-

dence and care. They must ensure that thecharity is solvent and well-run, deliveringits charitable outcomes for the benefit ofthe public for which it has been set up.

Who runs the museum? Part IIThe Weald & Downland Open Air Museum is one of a large and successful group of independentmuseums in the UK which operate as charitable trusts, running on a not-for-profit basis. In the first partof this series we profiled the Trust Officers and Board. In this part we discover the remaining Trustees.

DEBBIE CHIVERTON Debbie has a first degree in Physiological Sciences and an MA from Oxford, a certificate in Teacher Training and a Diploma in Building Conservation.Debbie’s career briefly included a spell with the Medical Research Council,and a period lecturing at Chichester College before joining the family firm ofEA Chiverton Ltd, the building contractors involved with the construction ofthe Downland Gridshell, as Company Secretary and then Director. Debbiehas been involved in judging for the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards and hastrained as a Citizens Advice Advisor. She maintains a keen interest in sailing,a sport in which she has represented Great Britain in World Championships,picking up a bronze medal at the first Womens’ World event.

LADY ELIZABETHBENSONElizabeth trained as apicture restorer at theNational Gallery ofScotland. She is now ahands-on stock, dairy and

arable farmer in Sussex close to the museum atSingleton and in the Scottish borders. For mostof her life she has been involved with forestryand caring for historic buildings. She is a DeputyLieutenant of Tweedale in the Scottish Borders.

MICHAEL BURTON After a number of years in manufacturingand sales in the construction industry,including assignments in Africa andFrance, Michael (then aged 40) decidedwith his wife Jane to launch his ownbusiness, Room Outside Ltd, a newapproach to the garden accessories

market, and introduced a unique conservatory modularbuilding system. After 18 successful years the business wassold to a large PLC. In retirement he turned his attention tofundraising for the local church, village hall and school,founding a new children’s play area. At the museum, heserved on the Board for 17 years and helped fundraise forthe Downland Gridshell. Now he works on a number ofprojects, including seeking new magazine advertisers, inputinto marketing the museum and working with the Directorand Shop Manager on the retail operation. His hobbiesinclude tennis, travelling, photography, and painting usingvarious media, some of which can be seen at the museum.

SIMON KNIGHTSimon is a graduate of Oxford University and Cirencester RoyalAgricultural College, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of CharteredSurveyors. After a career as a land agent starting with Smiths Gore inPeterborough, Simon is now the Senior Partner of Smiths Gore andchairs its Partnership Board and its various subsidiaries. Principal clientsinclude the Crown Estate, the Church Commissioners for England, theHighways Agency, and a Government Department as well as numerous

private clients. He is also a member of the Council for the Protection of Rural England, theLand Surveyors Club, and a former High Sheriff and now Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex.

Non-Board Trustees

NIGEL CLUTTONAfter studying agriculture at PlumptonAgricultural College, followed by NationalService in the Royal Marines, Nigel joinedthe family firm of Cluttons, engaged in themanagement of landed estates. Havingqualified as a Chartered Surveyor hebecame a Partner in the firm and was

appointed a Receiver to the Church Commissioners for England,and to the Crown Estate Commissioners, whose extensiveestates in southern England he managed for 40 years, togetherwith many other institutional and privately-owned estatesthroughout the country. During his professional career Nigel’sother interests included serving as Chairman of the MorningtonBuilding Society, Chairman of the Hand in Hand InsuranceSociety (which became the West End Board of the CommercialUnion Group), and he was Her Majesty’s Steward for the Islandand Royal Manor of Portland. He was closely involved in theformation of the South Downs Land Management Group to lookafter the interests of the National Park’s farmers andlandowners, and of which he is the Founder President.

1966 –Inaugural meeting

of the Committee for the Promotion of an

Open Air Museum for the Weald & Downlandheld at the University

of Sussex

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On Sunday 21 September themuseum is exploring thefascinating subject of the domesticinterior of historic homes: wallpaintings, materials and furniture.

This day includes a series of talks usingexamples from high and low status homes.From recent research on Henry VII’s marriage bed, to scientific analysis ofcolour; the evidence of interiors fromportraits to historical research into earlymodern interiors, we will cover manyfacets of this topic.

Speakers include Jonathan Foyle, ChiefExecutive of World Monuments FundBritain and TV presenter; Clare Gittingsof the National Portrait Gallery; IanBristow, architect and specialist in historicarchitectural colour, and Craig Gershater,scientist.

The structure of the day will follow thatof the successful Medicine and Mortality daylast September and allow time to exploredisplays and demonstrations around thesite. The series of talks is pre-ticketed; £40 for adults and £30 for MuseumFriends. Contact 01243 811464 or [email protected]

museum trustees

interpretation

JENNIE PEELJennie is a qualified teacher with acareer culminating as Headmistress ofConifers co-educational prep school(two spells). That role was interruptedby over three years as Schools ServicesManager at the Weald & DownlandOpen Air Museum. She has been a

Governor of Seaford College and Oakwood School. As wellas the museum her recreation interests include gardening,theatre, photography, cooking, horses and dogs.

DAVID STREETERDavid read botany at Queen Mary College, LondonUniversity. He joined the new University of Sussexas a lecturer in Ecology, becoming Dean of theSchool of Biological Sciences in 1984 and Pro-Vice-Chancellor five years later. In ‘retirement’ hemaintains an active teaching programme asReader in Ecology. His academic interests have

focused primarily on the relationship between ecological theory andconservation and land use management. He has served on a numberof national and local NGOs and statutory bodies, including theAdvisory Committee for England of the Nature Conservancy Council(1973-1983) and as a Countryside Commissioner (1978-1984). Hewas also a member of the Sussex Downs Conservation Board (Vice-Chairman 2002-2005) and its successor South Downs JointCommittee. From 1975-1980 he was a member of the GeneralAdvisory Council of the BBC and has also served on the HistoricBuildings & Land Panel of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Among NGOappointments, he has served on the SE Regional Committee and theConservation Panel of the National Trust, is a founder member andnow President of the Friends of Ashdown Forest and has served on thecouncils of the British Ecological Society, the Botanical Society of theBritish Isles, the Royal Society for Nature Conservation and the FieldStudies Council. He is currently president of the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

DAVID TOMLINSONDavid spent 35 years in the HealthCare Industry, starting as a graduatetrainee and rising to General Manager,all with American PharmaceuticalCompanies. Not long after joining themuseum as a Trustee he was invited tobecome Chairman, a position he held

for 10 years. David is Honorary Secretary of the museum’sEndowment Trust. Sport has long been a passion andDavid played hockey up to Olympic level.

Colour in Historic Homes – discover howour predecessors decorated their houses

An example of early 17th century wall decoration at the museum – this wall painting is inthe town house from Reigate in the market square.


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Herbert L. RussellTraditional maker of furniture, joinery

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We help with every stage of planning avisit and every group is met and welcomed by our education team to helporientate you at the beginning of yourday.

Last year thousands of young peopleenjoyed an educational visit and it is fantastic to walk into the market squarewith school groups and hear their excitement in recognising real Victorianor Tudor buildings: often they’re alreadyable to identify features that they havestudied in anticipation of the visit. Of course the animals are anotherfavourite thing; even the ducks who we warn them will try to share theirsandwiches!

Details of our revised schools pro-gramme will be out this spring. This willexplain how our sessions will fulfil therequirements of the new National Curriculum and will sit alongside manyelements of our current programme.

Calling college tutors offashion, design, carpentry,business studies, history,archaeology... Why not find out what themuseum can offer your students?

In recent months we’ve had a number ofvisits from colleges and we offer bespoketours and workshops to support theirprogrammes of study. We are lucky tohave many experts who are willing to

share their time and knowledge with students. Feedback from these visits isvery positive and shows that time at themuseum provides inspiration for projectsand creative work.

History GangWe celebrated the creation of our new‘History Gang’ youthgroup with cake at the end of an action-packed first session! Steve Redshaw(pictured) has joined

the museum on a part-time basis to coordinate the group and is ably assisted by

a team of helpers.With many years ofteaching experiencebehind him, alongside practical/outdoorsknowledge, a love ofthe museum andmusical skills, he hasmany ideas forexciting activities forthe group. At the time of writing there area couple of spaces for new members – toenquire about History Gang membershipplease email [email protected] phone 01243 811459.

schools services

Make the most of the opportunity to come and visitthe museum with your school!

The museum continues to try tosupport local teachers in offeringcontinuing professional developmentand networking opportunities throughour seminars for teachers. In 2013 weran three days for teachers on differenttopics, and days on drama and inspiring primary pupils’ curiosity inhistory are planned for March 2014. On Tuesday 7 October 2014 we will berunning an Outdoor Literacy day forprimary teachers to inspire and provide practical ideas in beautifulsurroundings. For details please [email protected] or seehttp://www.wealddown.co.uk/Schools/Schools-news/

Teachers’ days

A mini quiz for young people,and the young at heart. 1. How many horses are there at the

museum? Do you know theirnames?

2. How many buildings at the museumare on staddlestones (stones thatlook like mushrooms)?

3. What object is just outside and tothe right of the smithy?

4. Which house has a fairly large roomset up for dairying?

5. In the Tudor Monastery Farm whichanimals were given ‘shoes’ to go tomarket?

6. Name the longest old building at themuseum?

Answers – at the museum!

Don’t forget your MuseumDetective book– bring it againif you have acopy or get afree copy in theshop. There isalways lots to

explore at themuseum, butsome thingsyou’ll only see in the rightseason or ifyou’re verylucky. LikeHarry the cat!

How well do you knowthe Weald & DownlandOpen Air Museum?

Schools Outreach2014 – Medieval,Tudor, Victorianeveryday life Why not let us come to you?We know that a visit to this uniquemuseum is a truly memorable schooltrip, indeed many adult visitors sharewith us their memories of a visit withtheir school. However, we understandthat travel is expensive due to fuel costincreases so we have launched aschools outreach programme. We alsohope that for certain groups whorequire further preparation, it may bevery useful for us to help with this stageand/or consolidate information after avisit. You can find out more about ouroutreach programme on our website:http://www.wealddown.co.uk/Schools/Museum-Outreach-2014-Medieval-Tudor-Victorian or contact the schoolsservices on 01243 811028.

Textiles students from FarnboroughCollege explore how clothing wastraditionally made with the museum’sDomestic Interpreter, Cathy Flower-Bond.


Educational group rates held at 2013 prices

P. 35_P. 3- 21/02/2014 08:27


Holiday LetRural France

Spacious detached 3 bedroom property in largesecluded garden with spa pool

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“Sussex Gardens 2014”

We see beautyWe have worked on conserving some of

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Timber Mercha

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Fencing Con

tractors

Bar&Worktops

Beams

Decking

CladdingHardw

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FlooringFencing

&

Gates

Retail Shop

Machined

Profiles

For timber,

tools,

machinery

and finishes

Thursday 1

5 May 2014

Launch of t

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‘PeterHarkn

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Oak Shingle

At theMuseum

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Welcome to our newCommunications & BusinessDevelopment Manager

Kate Russell joinedthe museum inNovember and is no stranger, havinghelped organise theVintage & SteamShow last August. She began hermarketing career at the age of 21when she joined amarketing agency in

Horsham, West Sussex, managing accountsincluding First Choice Holidays, the RoyalHorticultural Society and Ideal Homes. Shethen worked for a network connectivitycompany, based in Burgess Hill, handlingmarketing communications. Three years latershe moved across the road to CraneTelecommunications where she supportedUK resellers through channel marketing andbecame Business Development Managerlooking after the LG Electronics and Intelproduct portfolio, travelling to the USA onvarious occasions. Kate then joined UnileverBestfoods Ltd in Crawley to managepromotional activities and road shows. Due tothe demands of a young family Kate leftUnilever to be a full-time mother, and in2008 became Marketing Manager atAmberley Museum & Heritage Centre. Herlove of steam, vintage and industrial exhibitswas too much to resist and she remained atthe museum for over five years. Kate wasresponsible for all marketing, events and thevisitor experience at the museum. Since her arrival at the museum Kate hashelped to promote various initiatives andevents including the Christmas Market, TreeDressing and The Museum at Christmas. Shefinalised the museum’s 2014 publicity leafletand is currently arranging for 180,000 copiesto be distributed throughout the year. Next onher list is the final preparation for the newmuseum website to go live at the start of themain season.“I am keen to increase the museum’sexposure using a modern and traditional mix

of communication tools,” says Kate. “Socialmedia is important, but traditional print stillhas a part to play. We will need to work hardto appeal to our visitors in an extremelycompetitive environment where allattractions, historic houses and gardens areholding special events and actively targetingthe same market. I will be investing time intoforging good solid relationships with suchorganisations in the South East to ensure we work together rather than against oneanother. The ‘cost of living crisis’ is alsoaffecting many families who are all looking foradded value, so I will be benchmarking whatwe offer compared to other attractions.”Kate takes over from Carole Richmond whodid much to develop our use of social media.She has now moved on to pastures new –good luck Carole.

Moving onLast year we said goodbye to Ben Headon,who worked with the Curatorial team basedin the Downland Gridshell. His skills with awide range of traditional crafts have been ofgreat benefit to the museum, and he will bemissed. Good luck Ben, in the future.

ObituariesBill Spence, 70, wasan enthusiasticmember of theblacksmithing team,who would oftenput in extra hours inthe forge perfectinghis work. His last jobwas to make themetal strapping forthe new strong box that RogerChampion made for the Toll House. He andIan Glasspool (who sadly died a few monthslater, see opposite) worked together on aThursday, and were a splendid team. Theyhad known each other from their school daysin Midhurst, but met up again in their lateryears as volunteers at the museum. Bill wasalso an enthusiastic artisan entering beautifulart works into the museum exhibitions andlending a willing hand to set up the displays

with a smile and a laugh. His wife, Penny(sister to the late Heather Champion,formerly education officer and later curator atthe museum), is a former member of theFriends committee. Bill and Penny moved toSingleton in 1984 with their three daughters.For nearly 30 years Bill chaired the village hallcommittee, and he is a former chairman ofSingleton Parish Council. His professionalexperience with West Sussex County Councilwas put to good effect in the detailed workhe undertook to address River Lavant floodingproblems in the village. Bill’s joy for life andopen kindness will be very much missed byall who knew him.

Ian Glasspool, 73,started working at themuseum as a miller in2007 and discoveredblacksmithing bychance. He did notneed muchencouragement tojoin the blacksmithingteam and before longhe was one of thestalwart team of

volunteer blacksmiths. His skills developedquickly, and he became one of our regularThursday team. He was happy to spend timeshowing children how the forge worked,explaining the history of the SouthwaterSmithy, and was always willing to help outwith ‘have a go at blacksmithing’ duringchildren’s activity days. Always keen to helpwith jobs making items for use around themuseum, he was also a renowned cook,whose cakes were received with delight at theforge and in the education office! His artistictalents were not restricted to the smithy butextended to watercolours and photography.He was unfailingly kind, friendly and helpfuland will be very much missed by us all.Joan Shirt, 88, was a volunteer at themuseum for many years, with her latehusband Godfrey. Their involvement with themuseum began in the very early days of theproject, when Godfrey was transport managerfor the Land Settlement Association. Hearranged for the transport of the timbers ofthe Catherington Treadwheel and WinkhurstTudor Kitchen to the museum. Joan, who wasa member of the Friends’ committee, servedin the Women’s Land Army.

people

Discover the Museumat Night – 16/17 MayLast year we held our first event to mark thenational Museums at Night weekend. It was sosuccessful we are running it again this year, on theevenings of 16th and 17th May. The evening startsat 8.30pm with a guided tour around the site todiscover the meaning of the hours of dusk anddarkness to the people who occupied our housesin the past. We will stop at five different houseson the way round and enjoy the museum site asthe sun sets. Last year the weather was beautiful,so we hope for the same again (although we willstill carry on even if it rains!). The evening ends at11.00pm after cocoa and biscuits to round off thewalk. The event is bookable only, at £15 a ticket, available from the museumshop or by phone on 01243 811021/811931.

Kate Russell

Bill Spence

Ian Glasspool


Best of the Tweets!@MissMagpie. I had such a lovely day at the@WealddownMuseum Christmas market!The atmosphere was wonderful and the stallswere great.@Jpops007. Lovely day. @WealddownMuseum despite the sun not making anappearance! Good place to take the dog too.@WealddownMuseum One of our wonderfulvolunteers has mademore lucets. Wemake cords withthem for our clothing.Pre zip technology!@G2Chichester.@WealddownMuseum is a great day outnear Chichester and look out for their specialevents!

P. 37_P. 3- 20/02/2014 15:42

talks 2014


▲

involved over the centuries and a spate of literary outpourings aboutChanctonbury Ring by 19th and 20thcentury novelists, poets and travelwriters.Janet Pennington, born in Sussex, is a regional historian with a PhD inearly-modern inn and tavern history.She has spent over 30 yearsresearching local history and haspublished numerous articles. Janettaught local history and palaeographyfor the Centre of Continuing Educationat the University of Sussex for 20 years.

A year in the life of ahoneybee colonyWednesday 9 JulyTo the ancients, the honeybee was asacred animal, revered for its manifoldcontributions to human life as well asits exemplary nature. Today the bees’very existence is under threat, and it isimportant that we take an interest inthis extraordinary form of life anddiscover how we can help reverse itsdecline. Heidi Herrmann and RachelHanney will tell us about some of theextraordinary features of the life ofbees, from the time of the ‘birth’ of anew colony in spring throughswarming, to the beautiful organisation

of their nest, their worksharing, andtheir relationship to the world ofblossom, over the seasons of the year. Heidi Herrmann is a foundermember of the Natural BeekeepingTrust and has been sharing her lifewith bees for many years. The trust’sapiary has featured on BBC and ITV,and other media. Rachel Hanney is askep-making tutor and runs the trust’sinternationally renowned coursesteaching the making of the innovative‘sunhive’ hives.

History of the AshesWednesday 30 JulyUsing pictures and old film footagePeter and Chris Pyemont will tell thestory of this iconic sporting contestfrom its earliest beginnings. It willcover many of the fascinatingmoments in Ashes’ history includingWG Grace’s golden years, Bradman,bodyline, Laker’s 19 wickets, Botham’sheroics, Shane Warne’s spellbindingbowling and the 2005 series. Peter and Chris Pyemont have beenHeadmasters of St Bede’s School inEastbourne. Christopher has playedfirst class cricket for CambridgeUniversity and Peter captainedEastbourne Cricket club.

Landscapes of war andpeace: Sussex, the SouthDowns and the WesternFront 1914-18Monday 4 AugustOn the 100th anniversary of Britain’sdeclaration of war, and making use ofcontemporary letters, diaries andmemoirs, Dr John Godfrey willexamine the extent to whichattachment to the localities of Sussexand the South Downs played a role inmotivating men to volunteer forservice in the Royal Sussex Regimentduring the First World War and inhelping them to come to terms withthe conditions which they encounteredon the Western Front.Dr John Godfrey is an historian whoresearches and writes on aspects ofthe social, landscape and militaryhistory of Sussex in the 19th and 20thcenturies. He has been a Trustee ofthe museum for a number of yearsand is currently Vice-Chairman of theExecutive Board. He is also Chairmanof the Sussex Heritage Trust, Vice-Chairman of the South Downs Societyand an elected member of theCouncil of the National Trust.

Superstitious healingrituals in the VictoriancountrysideMonday 11 August Julie Wakefield is particularly interestedin the descriptions of superstitioushealing practises in the 19th century;her source material includes an articleentitled West Sussex Superstitions,written by a Mrs Latham, whichappeared in the 1st edition of FolkloreRecord, 1878 (this journal is still inpublication as the journal of theFolklore Society). These practisesincluded charms, stealing water frombaptismal fonts to remedy an ailmentcaused by bewitching, using pins toun-bewitch someone, cleft-tree magic,using the hand of a corpse to cure agoitre, and an elaborate ritual in whichthe wife of a clergyman loaned adonkey on which the patient had toride backwards. Julie Wakefield is a medical historianand freelance educator who works atthe Old Operating Theatre & HerbGarret in London. She is interested insuperstitious healing rituals and hasgiven talks and lectures to a widerange of adults and children.

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The cartshed is located just to the east ofthe lovely historic church in this smalldownland village, and is well known to themany visitors to the church and to walkersin the area.

The first stage was to survey the build-ing and produce drawings of the existingstructure, interpreting its original design,subsequent alterations and current con -dition. This was somewhat hampered bythe large amount of ivy and shrubbery thathad grown up in and around the cartshed.However, enough was visible to producean initial report and a schedule of worksand costings.

Joe Thompson, the museum’sCarpenter-in-Residence and Ed Rice(Project Manager) and Ian Russell(Structural Engineer) carried out thiswork and planning consent was obtained.The intention was to repair the buildingon a ‘like for like’ basis rather than restoreit to its original design, and so respect thechanges that had taken place to the

cartshed since it was built in the late18th/early 19th century.

A curious feature of the timber frame isthat it appears, at first glance, to be twoseparate frames joined together, in this casea three-bay structure that had beenextended by another three bays at a laterdate. However close examination of theframe, and in particular the carpenter’sassembly numbers and scarf joints, indicated that all six bays had been built in one period, albeit using a large amountof re-used timber at one end.

Next we looked at the options for repairand conservation. This work consisted ofthree main categories: firstly the repair ofthe flint and brick dwarf walls; secondlythe repair of the timber-framed walls andrafters, and thirdly re-covering the roofwith new sheeting.

The flintwork with its galleting (flintchips inserted between the flints into thelime-based mortar) has been repaired byChris Rosier (who teaches the flintwalling workshop at the museum) andTim Magiliton (a museum trainee). Thisthen provided a firm base for the timberrepairs, carried out by Gary Appleton of

Oakworks (a graduate of the museum’sTimber Building Conservation Mastersprogramme). Currently discussions areongoing about the final specification forthe roof sheeting before completion in theearly spring.

The project has been supported andfunded by the South Downs National ParkAuthority (£35,000) and Natural England(£25,000). The repaired cartshed willgreatly enhance the immediate area, aswell as offering shelter to walkers and providing interpretation of some of thenearby buildings and the local landscape,features and amenities.

historic buildings


The cartshed under repair, showingparticularly the front wall frame.

The flintwork dwarf walls with thegalleting.

Bringing the Up Mardencartshed back to lifeBy Joe Thompson

Somewhere under there . . .During its lifetime themuseum has carried out anumber of restorationprojects off-site for otherauthorities, enabling a newlease of life for historicbuildings in situ. In summer2012 the museum wasapproached by the SouthDowns National ParkAuthority for help with therepair of a redundant timber-framed cartshed at UpMarden, West Sussex.

Rethatchingthe house fromWalderton

Thatching under way towards the endof last year on the house fromWalderton in the museum’s marketsquare. The thatching was completedby our thatcher, Chris Tomkins andcolleagues, providing a watertight new roof for the building and ademonstration of an important ruralcraft for visitors at the same time. Thework was completed with the supportof a £60,000 grant from Arts CouncilEngland’s (ACE) Designation Fund,which was also used for the re-thatching of Hambrook Barn earlier lastyear. The building is 17th centuryexternally, but contains the remains ofa medieval timber-framed open hallinside.

P. 39_P. 3- 21/02/2014 08:33


DirectionsBy car: Just off A286 Chichester to Midhurst road at Singleton village.

By bus: No 60 from Chichester or Midhurst. 20% entry discount on presentation of StagecoachCoastline bus ticket, valid on day of purchase only.

By rail: Chichester 7 miles, Haslemere 15 miles.

From 2 Jan-28 Feb open Wed, Sat and Sun only with the exceptionof half term week, 17-21 Feb, when the Museum is open daily. From1 March open daily until 22 Dec and daily from 26 Dec-1 Jan. Don’t miss ‘Tudor Christmas’ on 26 Dec-28 Dec. Opening times:10.30am-6.00pm British Summer Time and 10.30am-4.00pm rest of the year.

Admission 2014: Ticket prices including Gift Aid (standard charge inbrackets). Adults £11.90 (£10.70); children £6.50 (£5.90); 65+ £10.90(£9.70); Family £33.50 (£30.40); under 4s free. Call 01243 811363 fordetails of group rates and disabled access. Free car and coach parking,dogs on leads welcome, lakeside café, picnic areas, gift and bookshop.

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum Singleton, Chichester West Sussex PO18 0EUMuseum office Tel: 01243 811363 Fax: 01243 811475 Information line: 01243 811348 Email: [email protected] Website: www.wealddown.co.ukFriends membership Tel: 01243 811893

The Museum is open throughout the year

Singleton, Chichester, W Sussex PO18 0EUTelephone 01243 811348 www.wealddown.co.uk

WEALD & DOWNLANDO P E N A I R M U S E U M

Enjoy Spring at the Museum!

Museum Director: Richard PailthorpeMagazine Editor: Diana ZeunerAdvertising: Katie Jardine Tel: 01243 811016Registered as a charity No. 306338 ISSN 0953 6051Weald & Downland Open Air Museum Magazineis printed on Edixion Offset, uncoated paper withISO 14001 environmental certification andcovered by the European EMAS standard,produced from sustainable forests.

Typeset by Dorchester Typesetting Group Ltd, Dorchester, DorsetPrinted by Pensord (www.Pensord.co.uk)

The season begins with Mothering Sunday on 30 March with our traditional complimentary posy for mothers and grandmothers. Thenon 30 March-5 April discover the museum’s unique period clothing project with our Historic Clothing & Textiles Exhibition. The EasterHolidays, 7-17 April, are a perfect time to visit the museum, enjoying longer days, warmer weather, spring flowers and new-bornlambs. On 12/13 April we are holding a weekend dedicated to the skills, traditions and culture of the downland shepherds,Shepherding & Shepherds’ Huts. The Museum at Easter runs from 18-21 April, with an insight into the way our rural forebears markedthe season, with the help of The Tudor Group. On 4/5 May don’t miss our Food & Spring Countryside Show, when the very best of theSouth East’s produce and crafts will be on show, plus amazing dishes being produced in the Cookery Theatre. National Mills Weekendis on 10/11 May, when you can discover more about our working watermill and taste biscuits baked with our own flour. See themuseum in a different light during the evenings of 16/17 May for Museum at Night (pre-booking required). There’s a special Beatingthe Bounds Walk for Rogation Sunday on 25 May, and the season ends with Spring half-term family activities based on rural arts, craftsand games from the countryside. And don’t miss the Tudor Monastery Farm guided tours this year. We look forward to seeing you!

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tudor monastery farm – special tours this year · 2017-12-05 · tudor monastery farm ... used...

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