Chichester Museum is Keeping Rural Life Alive with Something for Every Season
Set within 40 acres in the heart of the South Downs National Park, the Weald & Downland Living Museum, Singleton, invites visitors to explore more than 1,000 years of rural history, with somethingto discover in every season.
Through its collection of historic buildings, working landscapes and traditional crafts, the Museum shares the stories of the ordinary men, women and children who lived and worked in thecountryside. Here, rural life is not displayed behind glass; it is brought vividly to life.
As spring arrives, the living landscape begins to reawaken. Lambs and chicks herald the start of the farming year, period gardens bloom with seasonal colour, and historic doorways are opened wide to
welcome in the fresh country air. Visitors are encouraged to step inside the buildings, take part in demonstrations and experience history in a truly hands-on way, a rare do-touch museumexperience.
Clare de Bathe, Museum Director, said: Each season transforms the Museum in its own way. From the first signs of spring in the gardens to the sights and sounds of traditional rural skills in action, there is always something new to experience. We are proud to keep rural life alive; not as something locked in the past, but as a living, changing story that visitors can step into and be part of.
Open year-round, the Museum oers a relaxed and enriching day out, come rain or shine, allowing visitors to explore at their own pace and reconnect with the rhythms of rural life.
Whats On This Spring
There is a packed programme of seasonal events and ac vi es for families and history lovers alike:
Mothers Day Sunday 15 March
Mums visit for FREE, making it the perfect family day out.
Easter Holidays Waking up the Wild
Activities take place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the holidays, alongside a special Easter Flower Code Quest Trail running from Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April.
Living History: The Toll House Remaginer - 25th and 26th April
Discover the progress of the Museum current restoration project and meet living history specialists Tastes Through Time as they bring the Toll House to life.
Charcoal Burn Weekend 24 May (Bank Holiday)
See the Museums oldest working exhibit in action as traditional charcoal burning returns for a full weekend demonstration.
Try-A-Trade 9 & 10 May
A hands-on weekend especially for children, designed to inspire the next generation to explore heritage crafts and rural trades.
Living History: Victorian Show me 2325 May (Bank Holiday)
Step into the spectacle of a 19th-century travelling show as Melford Hys Companie presents
three days of lively Victorian entertainment.
May Half Term Saxon Life
From 23 to 31 May, families can follow an interactive Saxon trail across the site, with additional hands-on activity days from Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 May.
Keeping Rural Life Alive
Rural life is not just part of the past; it continues to shape the present. In a fast-paced world, the Museum oers a space to slow down, reconnect with nature and rediscover the skills, stories and traditions that built our communities.
By bringing historic buildings, landscapes and crafts together in one living environment, the Weald & Downland Living Museum ensures that rural heritage remains relevant, meaningful and alive for
future generations.
For more information on and to plan your visit, go to: wealddown.co.uk
