Making history come to life for children and adults alike (The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum (Sussex))

Member Name: LadyS

Product:	The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum (Sussex)
Date:	17/09/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful setting, fascinating buildings and plenty to see and do for all the family

Disadvantages: Bit pricey

The Weald and Downland Museum is a magical place. Set in the midst of the beautiful South Downs, it is a little bit of preserved history for all to enjoy.

Dotted around the 50 acre site are historic buildings which have been "rescued" from demolition and painstakingly reconstructed. The buildings provide a fascinating insight into what it was like to live in a rural community in the past - from the idyllic chocolate box cottages with beautiful gardens on the outside, to the earth floors, draughty windows and tiny rooms on the inside.

As well as the traditional country cottages, there are also working buildings, such as a watermill (you can buy the flour ground in the mill from the shop), dairy, stables, forge etc, where demonstrations are held thoughout the day so you can see how the buildings and machinery work.

As a centre piece of the museum is the market square which encompasses a range of beautifully constucted buildings and provides a focal point to the museum - much like a market square in a traditional village.

One fascinating new build is the Downland Gridshell - the Museum's exhibition space which stores 10,000 artefacts of rural life - no I didn't count them, but I believe their website!

The animals at the farm are great for children - from the ducks on the duck pond to the cackling geese in the orchard and the gentle giants of the shire horses - plenty to keep them entertained.

Throughout the year are a number of special events over weekends to suit a wide variety of tastes - from a steam festival, to a food fair, rare breeds show, a christmas market and special events for Easter, Mothers and Fathers Day etc. I have visited several of these special events, and they have all been enjoyable and very well organised.

The Museum also organise daily courses in a number of rural crafts, for example hedge laying/wood lathe turning etc - great gift ideas for those friends and relatives who have everything.

There is a coffee shop on site, but this is a bit pricey and can get very busy, especially at weekends - best to take a picnic and find a quiet spot and enjoy the views.

Entry to the museum is quite expensive - £8.95 for adults and just under £5 for children (although under 5s are free). Season tickets are available for around £20 per adult, and if you are planning to visit a few of their special weekend events then it is well worth buying the annual ticket - you then have a lovely place to picnic through the summer!

Summary: Great day out for all the family