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Weald and Downland Open Air Museum. A Medieval Researcher’s Paradise.

8/30/2014

14 Comments

 
I recently took a vacation to London, England. My parents live there, and so I try and visit once a year. Normally, these visits are short affairs where I stay in my home town of Ashford and catch up with family and old friends. This year was different, this year I took my husband and children with me. We had a blast. Each of us chose one thing we wanted to see while we were near London. And today I want to share my choice The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum.

It is a few hours by train from London. If you want to go the easy way then travel by train from Waterloo Station to Chichester and then take a cab from there. Of course, we went the hard way. We took a train from Clapham Junction to Hazelmere from there we got a bus to Midhurst, a pretty medieval town, and then another bus to the museum. I was amazed at how well timed the public transport was. We didn’t wait long for any of the trains or buses and taking public transportation added to the adventure.
PictureThis Tudor house is one of the first exhibits

The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum consists of a large parcel of land where volunteers and workers at the museum have taken tumble down buildings from the southeast of England, restored them to their original condition, completed research concerning their history, and acquired historically relevant artifacts. It is a place where you can explore the everyday life of the medieval world.


This is simply one of the best museums I’ve ever been to and hardly anyone seems to know about it. For me it’s a living history of the medieval and Tudor period. To quote their website

“…traditional buildings in a rural landscape that tell the story of the men, women and children who lived and worked in them over a 600-year period.

You can explore the 50-acre site and visit some of our 50 exhibit buildings. Many of our exhibit houses are furnished to recreate historic domestic interiors. 

We have a regular programme of domestic and craft demonstrations, including cooking in our Tudor kitchen.”



Each building has an information plaque explaining; where the build came from, the time of its construction, and any relevant history. There is also a photo showing the original condition of the structure before its restoration.


Picture
The boar hall information plaque.
Picture
The rescued 14th century boar hall
Their re-enactors are friendly and helpful. I was fortunate enough to talk to two of them and pick their brains about life in the early 14th century. They were amazingly knowledgeable and very kindly took the time to share their wisdom and research tips with me. As a history geek I was in heaven. We sampled food from the Tudor kitchen, walked through the buildings where you can touch and handle the furniture

Picture
The Tudor Kitchen
This was an amazing day and the English countryside is exceptionally beautiful. The only hiccup was that our bus stop near the museum was out of commission due to construction, but Andy from The Old Forge B&B was nice enough to give us a ride to Midhurst, where we had a delicious cup of coffee before starting our journey back to London.

The Weald and Downland is a beautiful part of England and with its proximity to London is definitely worth a visit. 

14 Comments
Meg Bellamy link
8/30/2014 03:21:04 am

Thank you for these amazing photos and this information! What a great place to visit!

Reply
Marlow
8/30/2014 04:04:20 am

Thanks Meg. Yes, it was a wonderful day and if I'm honest it was the highlight of my visit.

Reply
Barbara Bettis
8/30/2014 04:07:50 am

What a great place! Thanks for sharing your experience and the photos. Another place to add to my 'must see' list for when I visit--which I hope, hope, will be soon!

Reply
Marlow
8/30/2014 04:13:33 am

Oh yes, Barbara, if you get the chance to go to London, I reccomend you take a day to visit this museum. I'm just amazed that more people don't know about it.

Reply
Madeleine McDonald link
8/30/2014 06:00:33 am

For visitors to the North of England, I recommend the wonderful Ryedale Folk Museum in Yorkshire, also dedicated to ordinary life in past times. We visited the day of my 60th birthday, and I kept my first ticket at pensioner prices as a souvenir. Madeleine

Reply
Marlow
8/30/2014 06:30:13 am

Madeleine,
Happy Belated Birthday. What a wonderful way to spend your special day.
The Ryedale Folk Museum is now on my list of places to vist. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Louise Lyndon link
8/30/2014 12:01:11 pm

I love your post. I had no idea that place existed! Argh, I want to go back and visit. I was so close...yet so far! I love your pictures and so glad you had a great time.

Reply
Marlow
8/30/2014 12:46:46 pm

Louise, I'm glad you like the post.
It really isn't that far from London and I'm amazed that no one knows about it. It's like Southeast Englands best kept secret.

Reply
Luanna Stewart link
8/30/2014 11:30:20 pm

I love village re-creation museums, either ones like yours, or ones located in an old fort, like Fortress Louisbourg in Nova Scotia. You have some great pictures. I'll be sure to add this to my "to-do" wish list for the next time I'm in the UK.

Reply
Marlow
8/31/2014 01:16:32 am

Luanna,
I have family in Nova Scotia and have heard about Fort Louisbourg is amazing. It's on my list of places to see.

Reply
Mary Gillgannon link
8/31/2014 01:31:59 am

Great post! I'll definitely put this on my list of things to do when I finally get to go to England. (I'm visiting Scotland and Ireland this year.)
Similar "living history" museums I can recommend are Craggaunowen, which is near Limerick, Ireland, and the Museum of Welsh Life near Cardiff. Both have very cool dark age and medieval displays and buildings.

Reply
Marlow
8/31/2014 02:11:07 am

Mary,
I'm so Jealous. I'd love to go to Scotland and Ireland. Ireland is on my list because I spent a lot of time there as a teen.
I will have to look up Craggaunowen and the Museum of Welsh Life.

Reply
diana link
8/31/2014 04:52:52 am

What a great post - love you photos too. Looks like a fabulous place. Must check it out on one of my trips back to London.

Reply
Marlow
8/31/2014 06:13:30 am

Diana,
If you go to this museum you'll have to write a post and tell us about it.

Reply



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“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
—Ernest Hemingway
Photos used under Creative Commons from mararie, libertygrace0, Renaud Camus, David Holt London
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