Weald and Downland Magazine 2013

Events, Courses and What’s on 2013

Houses of the Weald and Downland– new book out now

Discover what people wore in the 17th century

SPRING 2013

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

Tindalls Cottage – the repair of an historic timber frame

W&D Spring 2013 OFC_W&D OFC (2) 22/02/2013 10:31 Page 1

2 Weald & Downland Open Air Museum SPRING 2013

Historic buildings..11-15

News..............................3-9

Interpretation..........17,

27-29, 35, 43

What’s on .....................19

Courses ...................21-26

Friends’ news......30-31

Support services......33

Collections...................37

Farming .........................37

People ............................39

Schools services ......41

From the Director2012 will be remembered for theQueen’s Diamond Jubilee and theOlympic Games, as well as thewettest year ever recorded inEngland. All three, particularly thelatter, had an adverse effect on ourattendances. However, despite an8% drop in visitor numbers in2012 the museum enjoyed asuccessful season.

Highlights included the Raising the Frame weekend, when thetimber frame of Tindalls Cottage was re-erected nearly 40 yearsafter its dismantling from the site of the Bewl Water reservoir.The very wet autumn has, frustratingly, hampered progress onthe building’s reconstruction work, but we are on target for amid-summer completion and will be using the opportunity ofcelebrating Sussex Day on 16 June to open the cottage to view.The museum is most grateful to the Friends for their fundrais-ing initiatives and to everyone who has supported the project bysponsoring a tile. The museum has also been fortunate to bedonated a legacy of the Olympics in the form of a section ofwildflower meadow, situated downhill from Tindalls, which hadbeen specifically grown for the memorable opening ceremony.

During 2013 we will be progressing further the GatewayProject. In March we shall hear the outcome of our Stage 1 bidto the Heritage Lottery Fund, but in the meantime we will beworking on much-needed improvements to our catering facili-ties by erecting two temporary circular shelters, constructedwith ‘reciprocal roofs’ and sustainable materials. The structuresare the inspiration of trustee, Steve Corbett, and will remain insitu until after the Gateway Project has been completed, provid-ing transitionary covered space. Local woodsman, Ben Law, whospecialises in eco-building, will be assisting with the project.

During the winter we have been considering ways of refresh-ing our special events, and will be introducing a number of newideas. We are collaborating with the South Downs National Parkfor the Food & South Downs Fair, and the Steam Fair will have a‘vintage’ theme to it. The summer heavy horse event has been aregular fixture for 30 years, but we have decided to withdraw itthis year, and instead recruit heavy horse teams to performmajor roles at a number of this year’s events. A dedicated eventwill return in 2014 to commemorate the significant part work-ing horses played in the First World War.

The museum will also be focusing attention on smaller eventsand activities organised by the Interpretation team. Theseinclude participation in the national Museums at Night weekendand a Historic Clothing Exhibition, both in May, and Medicine &Mortality in September. Whilst the museum’s main events attractlarge volumes of people, it is on the quieter weekdays and week-ends that we would like to attract new visitors, providing themwith interesting carefully-themed events.

This year will see another stimulating and varied programme ofcourses and we look forward to working with our new partner, theUniversity of York. We would like to express a warm welcome tothe 35 students who have recently begun their MSc degree coursesin Building Conservation and Timber Building Conservation.

2013 promises to be another exciting and eventful year and Ivery much hope you will enjoy visiting the museum.

WEALD & DOWNLANDO P E N A I R M U S E U M SPRING 2013

9

15

33Front cover picture: Neville, one of themuseum’s three working Shires, driven byvolunteer Tony McNamara, passes PoplarCottage on carting duties on a sunny daylast summer.

Loui

se A

dam

s/O

bser

ver

Serie

s

17/18 May 8.30-11.00pm. Don’t forget to book!For the first time the museum will be taking part in Museums atNight, a national event organised by Culture24 which encouragespeople to visit their local museums in the evening. The museum willbe open for booked visitors only on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 Mayfrom 8.30 -11.00pm (in addition to our normal opening hours forthose days). Tickets at £15 can be bought through the museumshop, on 01243 811020. Enjoy a guided walk around five of themuseum’s houses, discovering what the hours of dusk and darknessmeant to the people who lived there in the past. The evening endswith hot drinks and biscuits in the Building Crafts Gallery.

Museums at Night

P. 2_P. 2- 22/02/2013 10:33 Page 2

Volunteer blacksmiths, Alan Puddick andNigel Goodenough made the iron -mongery for the windows and doors,funded by The Leche Trust. And, theFriends of the Museum’s ‘Buy-a-tile’fundraising initiative raised £3,500towards the roofing project: a tile costs£5 to make.

With work continuing apace, a preview of the cottage was planned tocoincide with Sussex Day, on 16 June (seebelow), when the public will have theirfirst opportunity to visit the cottage,prior to the final work on its interpre -tation. (See pages 11-15 for further articles on Tindalls Cottage.)

news

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum SPRING 2013 3

Tindalls Cottage – a special preview isplanned in June

Sussex Day – 16 JuneThe museum is looking forward to a new event thisyear – Sussex Day on 16 June, when we will becelebrating all things ‘Sussex’. The recentlydesignated special day is StRichard’s Day, which marksthe life of St Richard,Bishop of Chichester from1245-1253.

Focusing on everything that isunique and special about thecounty, highlights will include talks

on Sussex subjects in the hall from Crawley, traditional Sussexcrafts and folk music, and demonstrations of Sussex sports, suchas stoolball, which originated in the county and dates back to atleast the 15th century.

In the Downland Gridshell organisations such as the SussexFamily History Society, the West Sussex Record Office and theSussex Wildlife Trust will have stands. And there will be domestic life demonstrations centred on our buildings from

Sussex (which will be identifiable by theSussex flag hanging outside), as well as a selection of trade stands selling traditionalSussex produce.

Top, Tindalls Cottage timber frame was completedin the autumn; left, tiling underway before thewinter set in, and above, wall laths were placedwithin the frame by the Collections team, readyfor daub to be applied later this year.

Left, stoolball – which originatedin Sussex, possibly over 400years ago, and, right, the Sussex flag.

Tindalls Cottage is settling into its new home at themuseum following thesuccessful Raising the Frameweekend last year. After there-erection of the timberframe was completed, led byJoe Thompson, he turned hisattention to the staircase andfloor boarding. Work beganon the chimney andbrickwork, by Ray Moseley;the tiling, by Fildes Roofingand the lathing of the wallsprior to daubing, by theCollections team.

P. 3_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:33 Page 3

news


The museum goes slightlywoollySheep &Shepherding inthe South Downs 7-11 AprilIn the winter months the museum wasbusy joining in a world record attempt tomake sheep, as part of a Campaign for Wool initiative to highlightthe importance of the natural material for clothing and furnishings.

So it was that small pompom sheep appeared in crevices in the museum’s buildingsbefore and during the winter half-term family activities. The first was Barnabas, who,assisted by the museum’s Twitter site, helped encourage people to make him somefriends (pictured). On Twitter @TheWoolRoom, coordinators of the record attempt,thought our expanding flock was “baa-rilliant!!” The view of the real Southdown sheepon the museum site is not recorded…

It was good preparation for the Sheep & Shepherding in the South Downs exhibitionon 7-11 April in the hall from Crawley, accompanied by displays of sheep-related artefacts from the museum’s collection, and demonstrations around the site. Spinningand wool dyeing will be happening every day, and lamb and mutton dishes will be prepared in Winkhurst Tudor kitchen.

But that’s not all. There is also a ‘launch’ day in conjunction with The Noviummuseum in Chichester which is staging an exhibition on the woolstaplers trade in thecity on the same dates. Some of our sheep will be taken into Chichester where theywill be in the care of the Humphrey family. Our Tudor-clothed interpreters will bespinning wool alongside them and wearing woollen clothing, accompanied of courseby the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum woolly ball flock of sheep made for thecampaign!

IN BRIEFDISCOVER WORKS OF ART & USE– 4-10 MARCHThe museum’s growing collection ofrural trades and crafts artefacts is opendaily for guided tours at 1.30pm, but ina first since the Downland Gridshellwas built, it will be open all day from4-10 March, with guides on hand tobring it to life. Currently estimated at15,000 items, the collection has beenawarded designated status by theGovernment in recognition of itsnational importance (along with ourhistoric buildings). It includes a widerange of rural and domestic artefactsas well as historic building parts – and there are plenty of surprises todiscover and fascinating stories to tell.

The title of the week, which will berepeated in the future, comes from themuseum’s founder, Dr Roy Armstrong,who wrote in 1955: “There is a widelygrowing belief that no sense ofcommunity or of common fellowshipcan really exist unless there is animplicit awareness of continuity – ofthe ideals, strivings, creative expressionthrough buildings, and works of art anduse, of the generations that havepreceded our own”.

HISTORIC GARDENS WEEK – 22-28 JUNEFor the second year the museum is holdingHistoric Gardens Week on 22-28 June.Highlights include an exhibition featuring the museum herbarium, displays of historicplants and their uses, and talks and tours of our six period gardens. The museum’sgardening team will be on hand to talk tovisitors. The event is part of the NationalGardens Scheme, and we are delighted to be included in the famous ‘yellow book’.

GIFT AID HELPS THE MUSEUMIn common with most other majorcharities such as the National Trust and Historic Royal Palaces, themuseum has changed its policyregarding Gift Aid on entry, withvisitors asked to ‘opt out’ rather than‘opt in’. Most visitors are eligible forGift Aid and will continue to be askedto complete a simple declarationunless they choose not to. The populartokens will also continue, enablingvisitors to ‘spend’ them in the café orshop. Claiming Gift Aid provides themuseum with an extra 25p in the £,valuable income for our work.

Olympic legacyfor museumWildflower turf specially grown for theOlympic Park and used in Danny Boyle’s‘Green and Pleasant Land’ openingceremony at the Olympic stadium last yearhas been donated to the museum. Staff andvolunteers helped lay the 200sq m of turfnext to Poplar Cottage, the museum’s mid-17th century labourer’s cottage rescuedfrom Washington, West Sussex. The turf wasdonated by Hampshire-based Wildflower Turf Ltd and Sussex-based Meadows NectarNetworks Initiative, who had grown more than was needed for the Olympics. The turfincludes Yellow rattle, Self-heal, Bird’s-foot trefoil and Crested dogs-tail, all native toSussex, once common in the region but now in significant decline due to intensivefarming methods. The turf was laid by hand with the museum’s domestic interpreter,Lesley Parker, undertaking the task in 17th century replica clothing: “I wanted visitorsto see how practical this clothing is,” she said. Museum Director Richard Pailthorpesaid: “We are delighted to be part of this project. It gives us the opportunity todemonstrate to our visitors a very important part of our environmental heritage. Themuseum is not only about building history but can also play a vital role in recreating awildflower meadow and the ecosystem it supports.”

P. 4_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:34 Page 4

With plans for a new refectoryby the lake being developed,the museum is to upgrade itscurrent refreshment facilitieswith two striking temporarystructures for the 2013 season.The buildings will increasevisitors’ enjoyment while theypause for coffee or a light lunch and contribute to themuseum’s buildings theme atthe same time.

The ‘Moveable Feast’ comprises two circular shelters with fine views to thelake and the market square, close to thesite of the current café, and which can be transported to a new site for a new use when the permanent building iscompleted.

The structures will be built using avery old device, a ‘reciprocal roof ’, per-haps reminiscent of an Iron Age circularhouse, but at the same time a strikingarchitectural style which will contrastwith the museum’s mostly rectangularhistoric buildings.

The concept is by museum trustee,Steve Corbett, who led the team of

carpenters responsible for the museum’saward-winning Downland Gridshell,which houses the building conservationworkshop and artefacts store. West Sussexwoodsman Ben Law, well known for hisecologically sustainable structures, will beassisting museum staff and volunteers inthe build. One roof and structuralcolumns will be of roundwood while the

other will be of sawn wood. They willincorporate sedum or shingle roof cover-ings, straw bale sides, and marqueeawnings which can be open or closedaccording to the weather.

So on your visit to the museum thisyear, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoythe experience of eating in the ‘MoveableFeast’!

news


The ‘Moveable Feast’ structures in the centre of the picture, with the museum’s marketsquare to the right.

Enjoy lunch at ‘The Moveable Feast!’

Rare BreedsShow – 21 JulyDon’t miss this delightfuland intimate agriculturalshow – one of the mostpopular events at themuseum and one of theSouth’s biggest gatheringsof farm animals. Get upclose to hundreds of cattle,sheep, pigs, goats andpoultry – all traditionalbreeds shown in a widerange of classes andculminating in a grandparade. You can chat totheir owners, as well as visit craft and trade standson countryside themes. Theshow is supported onceagain by the Friends of theMuseum.

P. 5_P. 3- 25/02/2013 09:14 Page 5

This beautifully produced book,published by Carnegie Pub -lishing, focuses on the his -tories of eight houses whichform part of the museum’scollection. Follow ing threeyears of research, Danae offersa unique insight into the social,economic and living conditionsof the periods in which they werebuilt as well as revealing details about theirarchitecture and construction.

The book is based on research under-taken between October 2005 and April2008 whilst Danae was an associate on aKnowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)between the University of Reading andthe museum, and asked the question:‘What was life like for the people wholived in these houses?’

The research has been disseminated to

the museum, its visitors and itswider community in a num-ber of ways, including staffand volunteer training,information folders inexhibit buildings and articleson the history of 10 houses

in this magazine. It alsounderpins the furnishing proj-

ects on exhibit buildings over thelast couple of years. Danae, who had theidea of publishing the research in a book,says: “The (book) provides a detailed and, Ihope, readable account of the social andeconomic context of each of these housesand the lives of their earliest inhabitants.”

The book was launched at the end oflast year and is for sale in the museum’sshop (01243 811020) or via the website,www.wealddown.co.uk, price £14.99 (+ £4.00 postage). See also page 8.

news


Gonville Cottage, one of the eight houses featured in the new book, Houses of the Wealdand Downland.

What was life like for thepeople who lived in the

museum’s houses?Find out in a newly published book

A new book about some of the museum’s most importantexhibits has been published. Houses of the Weald andDownland: People and Houses of South-east England, c 1300-1900 has been written by the museum’s SocialHistorian, Danae Tankard.

The museum onFacebook …A story about a museum leaflet from 1976 generated lots ofcomment –“We’ve been taking advantage of thereduced winter opening times to do a bitof tidying up in the office. And look whatwe found. This is a leaflet from the 1976-77 season. It cost just 45p to get in,VAT was 8%, our telephone number wasSingleton 348 and we warned people that bank holidays were busy. We are stilltidying up the offices so who knows whatelse we may find.”

A stunning photograph from RussellCobb proved popular at the start ofthe year –“PhotographerRussell Cobbis a very goodfriend of themuseum. Hehas just sentus somewonderfulpictures ofinterpreters in replicaclothing. This one seems very appropriatefor January, as in ancient Roman religionand mythology, Janus is the god ofbeginnings and transitions, thence also ofgates and doors, doorways, endings andtime.”

And Nick, the Gritter and the BBCwas a hit too –

“It is 7.30amon Friday 18January andNick, our sitemanager, hasalready grittedthe villageroads aroundthe museum.Earlier this yeara group of

volunteers from Singleton, West Dean and the museum got together to formSewcrest, with the aim of making sure thatthat the smaller roads were gritted duringbad weather. Sewcrest was granted themoney to buy a salt spreader from WestSussex County Council Members’ BigSociety Fund. Nick is shown here beinginterviewed by BBC Sussex in the wintryconditions that prove that Sewcrest was avery good idea.”

GonvilleCottage – is the only

original structure on the museum

site

P. 6_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:35 Page 6

The Friends of the Museum makesa significant financial contributionto the museum’s day-to-dayoperation and a variety of projectsand activities. Last year’s grantsamounted to £198,280.Since its establishment in 1970 theFriends has grant-aided the museum tothe tune of some £2.3 million. It remainsone of the largest museum Friendsgroups in the country, with some 4,800members, representing more than 10,500individuals. Independent charitablemuseums like the Weald & Downlandreceive no direct Government fundingand the Friends’ help is vital in sup -plementing revenue income from visitoradmissions, the shop, catering and training courses.

The Friends’ funding comes in two

ways. A substantial grant is made towardsthe costs of essential activities at themuseum. This grant, for £150,000 in2012, was paid in four quarterly instal-ments to assist the museum with coreactivities including exhibit improvements;historic gardens development and mainte-nance; marketing and publicity; horses andlivestock; site maintenance; schools service;staff and volunteer training, and supportfor curatorial and collections activities.The second tranche supports a variety ofindividual projects and last year totalled£48,072 (see below).

In addition to its membership income,the Friends runs fund-raising and socialevents, and day trips. See pages 30-31 formore information. Full details of theFriends’ activities are available on themuseum website, and to join the Friendscontact 01243 811893.

news


Friends’ vital contributionMedicine &Mortality 1300-1900 –

21/22 September“It is often said that, if you were ever offered the chance to visit the past, you should decline on

medical grounds” Dr Ian Mortimer

This weekend focuses on domestic rituals around human health, sickness,medicine and death through the ages.Demonstrations by the Tudor Group,herbal expert Christina Stapley, theWorshipful Company of Plumbers, and our domestic interpretation andgardening teams will ensure there willbe much to explore across the museum.On Sunday only Jane Borodale will talkinformally about Henry Lyte and hisplant and herbal as inspiration for herbook, The Knot.

In addition, a series of talks will bepresented by eminent historicalexperts, described in full on themuseum’s website. Pre-booking isessential for these, with tickets costingeither £40 for one day or at a specialrate of £60 for both days. A long lunchbreak has been scheduled so that thoseattending talks also have time toexplore the rest of the museum. Thefull programme is on the museum’swebsite along with booking details. You can also contact the museum on01243 711010 for information or tobook.

IT network server and PCs £17,843

Historic Clothing Project £5,000

Clad/paint Goodwood Granary £6,626

Roadworks £3,278

Paint Whittaker’s Cottage £1,000

Re-pointing Market Square £675

Projector and laptop £1,005

Goose shed re-thatching £2,645

Rare Breeds Show Sponsorship £10,000

Among medicinal plants in the gardenof the 15th century Bayleaf Farmhouseis woad, seen here in flower lastsummer.

Fund-raising dinnerThe Friends of the Museum is holding a major fund-raising event on 7 September,Dinner with Greg Wallace. This black tie event will be all about food, withMasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace as guest speaker. 200 guests will be offered anexciting and imaginative menu inspired by the museum’s links to our heritagethrough food. The dinner will be held in the Jerwood Space of the award-winningDownland Gridshell and promises to be a memorable evening. It will include achampagne reception, three-course dinner and entertainment, as well as anopportunity to bid for some great prizes. Tickets are £80 per person with guestsseated at tables of 10. Bring your friends and make up a party. Further information:Katie Jardine on 01243 811010, email [email protected]. See also page 30.

From field to flour – via an auctionLast autumn, the museum teamed up with Baird’s Farmto offer a special prize for the Climping Village Ball’sauction of promises, helping Baird’s Farm harvest anacre of wheat and then bringing 25kg to the museum’sLurgashall Watermill for milling, ready for baking inBaird’s Farm Shop ovens. Winners, Julia and AngusMcIntyre, duly arrived with their young twins, Jack andOlivia, at the mill with their sack of grain. Volunteer millers, David Meares and Bob Potts,explained to the family how the mill worked and how the grain was turned into wholemealflour. After a tour of the mill, the family watched their grain being hoisted to the top floorand poured into the hopper over the mill stones. They then saw the mill gradually run up tospeed and felt a small sample of the first of ‘their’ flour coming out of the spout. TheMcIntyres then spent an enjoyable couple of hours touring the museum, returning to themill just in time to see the last of their flour being weighed and bagged. They left for homewith copies of the Lurgashall Mill recipe book and great ideas about how to use their flour.

P. 7_P. 3- 25/02/2013 09:15 Page 7

Each house offers a unique insight into the social, economic and living conditions of the periods during which they were built, as well as revealing fascinating details about their architecture and construction.

But what was life like for the people who lived in these houses? Social historian Danae Tankard has cleverly interwoven information about the houses themselves (all of which may be visited) with much more general background about the people who have actually lived in them over the centuries, breathing life into the fabric of the structures. She explores the domestic, economic and material lives of their earliest inhabitants, and offers a detailed account of the communities in which each house was originally located.

The excellently researched text is complemented throughout by many illustrations showing the buildings before and after restoration, as well as faithfully recreated bedrooms, kitchens and other living spaces.

Houses of the Weald and Downland is an essential guide to this collection of buildings, and will appeal equally to visitors to the Museum and all those with an interest in the history of rural life in England.

Superb new ‘Houses of the Weald & Downland’ book

Danae Tankard is the Museum’s

social historian and a senior

lecturer in history at the University of

Chichester.

This beautifully produced book focuses on the histories of eight interesting houses which form part of the historic building collection of the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton, West Sussex.

224 PAGES, SOFTBACK

LARGE FORMAT, LAVISH COLOUR

BEAUTIFULLY PRODUCED

Houses of the Weald and Downland: People and Houses of South-east England, c1300–1900 by Danae Tankard is published by Carnegie Publishing at £14.99. It is available from the Museum’s shop, Singleton, West Sussex; via their website www.wealddown.co.uk; or send your name, address and a cheque made payable to Weald and Downland Open Air Museum for £14.99 plus £4 postage to Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Chichester, PO18 0EU, telephone: 01243 811363.H

OW

TO

OR

DE

R

W&D Spring 2013 ad pages_W&D Spring 2012 ad pages 25/02/2013 10:18 Page 8

From theChairman

The museum’strustees haverecently approveda new ForwardPlan for themuseum, takingour planning upto 2016. It is theculmination of aperiod of

research, review and consultation withour many friends and stakeholders. The museum has been one of the success stories of the heritage sector over the last 40years. It has remained steadfast in maintaining itseducational and academic purpose, whilst alsoproviding its visitors of all ages with an enjoyableday out. For the museum to survive it needs thequality of visitor facilities, ranging from cateringand retail to cultural interest and intellectual challenge, that meet the expectations of today’scommunities. This plan sets out a vision for the development and long-term sustainability ofthe museum.

Part of the vision would be delivered throughthe proposed ‘Gateway Project’ explained in pre-vious magazines. But we do need to look aheadto ensure the viability of the museum’s businesson all fronts, with or without the Gateway Project.Moreover, even if we are successful with ourgrant bid this year it will still be some yearsbefore we see the Gateway Project completed.

The plan reaffirms our commitment to ourexisting charitable key aims for inspiring anddelighting visitors, high standards of collectioncare, lifelong learning and research and scholar-ship. So what does the plan say that’s differentfrom the previous one written in 2008?

The following medium-term vision has beenadded:

A centre of excellence for the enjoyment,learning and understanding of the built environ-ment, landscape, rural life and communities ofSouth East England and the South Downs.

Under each of the key aims referred to above,and with that vision in mind, the plan sets out aseries of objectives and actions to be delivered ormoved towards over the plan period.

For example, from the point of view of build-ing exhibits reference is made to Tindalls Cottage,already under construction, our intention to re-site farm buildings and acquire others in orderto present three centuries of farming, and thatconsideration will be given to constructing a 21stcentury green/sustainable building.

With regards to scholarship and research, wewish to build on our relationship with theUniversity of York to grow the museum’s positionas a leader in the study and practice of buildingconservation. We will also be working with theEdward James Foundation to examine the scopefor greater collaboration in this field.

The plan also includes ideas for the enhance-ment of visitor facilities pending the more radicalimprovements that the Gateway Project capitalinvestment would bring.

If you would like to know more about the plan it is available on our website atwww.wealddown.co.uk.

Paul RiggChairman of Trustees

news


The museum in autumnThe museum’s Autumn Countryside Show celebratesharvest and the preparation of the land for thefollowing year’s crops – it’s also a great occasion toget together before the winter months set in. 1, Steam-powered threshing gets under way tothresh the wheat/triticale crop grown on themuseum site during 2012 – in the shadow ofthe great cedar in Greenways field. 2, IanWilliams and his Clydesdale pair were among anumber of horse teams ploughing the ground forthe next harvest – vintage tractors also took part.3, Country craft demonstrations included pole latheworkers, seen here with an interested audience ofvisitors. 4, Museum Horseman Mark Buxton unloadingthreshed straw into the barn, ready for thatching the museum’sexhibit buildings this year. 5, Show commentator John ‘Jumbo’ Lovatt receives the AlickDeadman trophy from Museum Director Richard Pailthorpe, awarded each year forcommunicating enthusiasm to our visitors. This year’s Autumn Countryside Show is on12/13 October.

1

5

2 3

4

P. 9_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:36 Page 9


The frame contains 249 timbers (includ-ing all the framed and fixed timbers butnot the staves, stairs or floorboards), ofwhich 200 (80%) are original Tindallstimbers. In his talk at the Raising theFrame event in September 2012 DavidMartin commented that this substantialcompleteness was a deciding factor inchoosing to rescue the building in 1974.As with nearly all timber frames, it hadbeen changed since it was first built, andthe frame required 49 new timbers – notbecause the originals were beyond repair,but because they had been removed dur-

ing alterations and repairs on its originalsite. All but one of the 200 dismantledtimbers are back in the re-erected frame.

The phrase ‘original Tindalls timbers’ isambiguous, as of these 200 timbers onlyeight appear to have been new when thecottage was built in the late 17th or early18th century. The other 192 were re-used. This was the dominant theme: notonly framing timbers but also most of theother building materials were re-used.

Richard Harris examined andrecorded the timbers prior to repair, andour discussions raised the possibility that

some of them might have come from onebuilding of typical late medieval form,with a crown post roof and sooted tim-bers. There is documentary evidence thatGeorge Peckham III, the owner ofTindalls, redeveloped Iridge Place,Salehurst, after 1717. This mansion is onlyfour miles from the original site ofTindalls Cottage: could it have been thesource of some or all of the timbers?

When re-using a timber the carpenterhas the option of retaining its original use(albeit usually altered in length or joints)– for example, re-using a rafter as a rafter.Tindalls has numerous instances of this inposts, braces, floor girders, binders andjoists, rafters and studs. We also identifiedone timber which had been used at leasttwice before, the floor girder in thehall/service partition.

Another important discovery was thatin the two floors (first floor and attic)whole assemblies of timbers had been re-used. Sketches 1, 2 This implies thatthe timbers were carefully dismantled anddiligently stored so that they could be re-used with the joists (reduced in length) intheir original mortices. The museum hasa similar example in Gatwick Cart Shed,where a whole roof has been re-used onnew posts. The carpenters of LongportHouse took this concept a stage furtherin re-using a whole framed building aspart of their alterations.

The floorboards were also re-used, andin many cases had been turned over sothat their original top surface is nowunderneath and easily identified by beingquite weathered, which is consistent withthe roof or infill panels having failed in the‘donor’ building. This shows how valuablethese wide (250–325mm) oak boards werein terms of material and labour.

historic buildings


Tindalls Cottage – the repairworksRepairing the structural timber frame of Tindalls Cottage hasbeen a wonderful and challenging experience. The more time Ispent with the frame the ‘curiouser and curiouser’ it became!Why? Because as I worked on the timbers, my first thoughts andassumptions often turned out to be wrong! Carpentry in a frameis usually fairly consistent and recognisable – but not in Tindalls.‘Normal rules’ didn’t apply, so every decision had to beapproached from first principles, observing and interpreting theevidence before weighing up the different possibilities.Discussion with colleagues is invaluable, but eventually I had tocut the timbers using my own judgement, so any errors are mine.To my relief the frame reared up very well, with only one tenonneeding slight trimming.

Joe Thompson and a colleague labellingthe roof timbers of Tindalls Cottageduring the repair stage.

Sketch 1. First floor showing ‘donor’ floor on left, and Tindalls on right. ▲

Joe Thompson, the museum’s Carpenter-in-Residence, describes indetail the structural repair of the timbers of Tindalls Cottage, themuseum’s latest historic building project

P. 11-14_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:37 Page 11

The other option when re-using tim-bers is to use them in a new way, againusually cut down to a new size. Tindallshas a few instances of this, such as a formertie beam being used as a wall plate, raftersas purlins and a brace, a collar re-used as abrace, and studs being used as staves.

This substantial re-use of timbersmeant that almost every one of the 200timbers had a ‘story to tell’, and I neededto be able to understand that story beforeI could repair the timber: never ‘cut firstand ask questions later’!

Historic timbers often have defects, butthe question is, are they failures? Oneapproach is to appraise each defect undera number of headings such as strength,durability, aesthetics, or historic impor-tance. This helps us to choose a repairstrategy and the tactics needed to achieveit. The museum has pioneered the use ofa range of techniques that keep the maxi -mum amount of the original surface,‘internalising’ the repair, and I was inter-ested to find that these techniques don’tseem to take any longer than other moretraditional repairs. This ‘conservative’repair approach had tangible results at theend of the project when I collected allthe timber offcuts that I had cut out andlabelled – they make an amazingly smallbundle, and have been accessioned intothe museum’s collections. Fig 11

The frame of Tindalls Cottage has an‘Alice in Wonderland’ quality – nothing isquite what it seems at first sight: 15th, 16thand 17th century timbers were framedtogether in the late 17th/early 18th centuryby carpenters who had to adapt theirtechniques to work with seasoned timberswith a multitude of joints already cut inthem. Sometimes the original joints werere-employed in Tindalls without adaption,sometimes they were adapted, and some-times new ones were cut. One cannothelp feeling admiration for the carpenter’sskilful work. The overall effect is of largemedieval-sized timbers framed to a lateStuart/early Georgian vernacular cottagedesign, with all modern conveniences!

historic buildings


Sketch 2. Garret floor showing ‘donor’ floor on left and Tindalls on right.

Fig 11. The small number of timberoffcuts following Joe Thompson’s‘conservative’ repair approach, whichhave been accessioned into themuseum’s collections.

Two timbers from Tindalls Cottage, a wall plate and a tie beam, probably came from thesame cross frame in an earlier donor building. In this drawing (by Richard Harris) theextent of the re-used timbers is shaded. The tie beam was re-used as the hip end tiebeam in Tindalls, but the lower beam was much altered and re-used as a wall plate.This reconstruction is highly conjectural, but shows the possible form of the originalframe. The significant feature is the wide opening (10ft 4in) on the ground floor whichprobably opened into a smoke bay (similar to that in Poplar Cottage but much wider).The width of the frame, about 24ft (7.2m), shows that it came from a large building –possibly a kitchen attached to an important house.

▲

11

P. 11-14_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:37 Page 12

historic buildings


There are 249 timbers in the structuralframe requiring a total of 201 repairs.

108 timbers with no intervention: thetimber could be re-used with no repairnecessary.

49 new timbers (10 ground cills, 3rafters, 14 studs and joists, 22 windowcomponents). These are the full lengthand cross section of the original timbers.In all but one case the original timber nolonger existed, having been lost when thecottage was repaired or altered in thepast.• Ground cills are particularly vulnerable

to decay, being so close to the damp

ground. Only three ground cills survived, and one was in such poorcondition that it had to be replaced.

• The larger section new timbers werefresh sawn, and the smaller ones usedsemi-seasoned or air-dried timberwhere available.

18 scarf repairs. Typically on the ends oftimbers, the repair being the full cross-section but not the full length of the original and matching its species, mois-ture content and conversion. The scarfjoints that carpenters use for new frames– halved, splayed and bridled – can alsobe used for repairs, but Roger Champion(the museum’s former Master Carpenter)devised two new types, the ‘V’ scarf and‘butt’ scarf, which retain most of the original surfaces and allow the repair to be‘read’ very easily on close inspection.• Splayed scarfs (4) were used where

one of the faces and the end has significant decay or loss.

• Butt scarfs (6) are appropriate wherean original timber has been shortenedwith a clean cut end.

• ‘V’ scarfs (8) work best where the endof the timber has lost its tenon andshoulders but the faces are still mostlysound.

• When the full cross-section was unavail-able in air-dried oak, I created it by laminating boards and planks.

• The scarf joints were all secured usingadhesives (epoxy resin or PVA) some-times reinforced with metal fixings. Figs 1, 2, 3

117 patch repairs. A patch repair can beup to the full length but is not the fullcross-section of the original timber. I usedfive different types of patch repairs: face,tenon, shoulder-and-tenon, ‘postman’and ‘veneer’. The last three were devisedby Roger Champion, again as ways ofmaximising retention of the original timber, particularly the surfaces. Patches generally use a higher grade of timber anddo not necessarily match the original intheir type of conversion, as experience atthe museum has shown that they need tobe as free of defects and as dimensionally stable as possible. • 56 face patches, typically where the

outer surface of the timber had partiallyweathered, decayed, or broken. Manyface patches have their surfaces ‘fairedback’ to harmonise with the originaltimber. Fig 4

• 24 tenon patches using either timber orresin. Where the tenon had decayed orbroken, new timber was either gluedinto a mortice cut into the end grain, or

butted and secured using glue and fixings. In nine cases where a significant‘stump’ of the tenon remained, oftenincluding part of the peg hole, resintenons were used. They were formedby mixing resin with sawdust and cast-ing it around an armature. Figs 5, 6

• 6 shoulder-and-tenon patches wereused where not only the tenon but alsoone of the shoulders had decayed orbroken, mostly at the bottoms of studstenoned into ground cills. If possible thepatch is cut to a ‘V’ profile and the outerface of the original timber is glued backonto the repair piece to minimise lossof surface – the patch version of the ‘V’scarf. Fig 7

Three scarf joints. Fig 1 – splayed scarf joint. Fig 2 – butted scarf joint. Fig 3 – ‘V’ scarf joint.

Enumeration

▲

Six patch repairs (continued on next page).Fig 4 – face patch. Fig 5 – tenon patch. Fig 6 – resin tenon patch.

1

2

3 6

5

4

P. 11-14_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:37 Page 13

historic buildings


• 30 ‘postman patches’, in which thepatch is fitted into a narrow slot or ‘letterbox’ behind the original surface,and secured with epoxy resin. Fig 8

• 1 veneer patch (ground cill in the buttery). Veneer patches can be usedwhere a substantially decayed timberhas one face that is in good enoughcondition to be sliced off and gluedonto a new repair piece. The survivingoriginal surface can thus be retained.Fig 9

11 metal repairs. Steel (mild or stain-less) was used to reinforce a timber or ajoint, instead of using timber or adhesives.• Straps were used in eight cases to rein-

force split or decayed timbers. Theywere fixed on the surface using nails orcoach screws. The metal was paintedblack to distinguish it from earlierTindalls metalwork.

• Three timbers were reinforced usingscrews to restrain splits due to shortgrain. Fig 10

6 adhesive repairs. Glue alone wasused to repair splits in original timbers, orto consolidate softened surfaces.• In four cases I used epoxy resin to glue

together timbers that had long splits orhad completely split apart.

• Epoxy resin was also used to strengthenand consolidate two small frassy areasto prevent further loss.

3 very minor interventions. Twotenons had distorted and I had to pare offsome timber so that they would fit intotheir mortices. In one of the floor girderseight broken pegs had to be drifted out oftheir mortices.

Enumeration – continued

With thanks to Richard Harris for his contribution to this article

Metal repairs. Fig 10 – metal strap.

Fig 7 – shoulder-and-tenon patch. Fig 8 – ‘postman’ patch. Fig 9 – veneer patch.

Dunsfold, Godalming Surrey GU8 4NP

01483 200477We have Immense Stocks of:

ANCIENT OAK BEAMSWIDE OAKFLOORBOARDSHAND MADE BRICKSROOF TILESFLOOR TILESBARN FRAMES

Please see:

www.antiquebuildings.com

Antique Buildings Ltd

BABYLON TILE WORKSManufacturers of handmade Kent Peg Tiles and Fittings

Babylon Lane, Hawkenbury, Nr Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0EGTel: 01622 843018

www.babylontileworks.co.uk

Making a legacyHave you ever considered including a donation to the museum inyour will? As well as leaving gifts to loved ones, many peoplechoose to support projects like the Weald & Downland Open AirMuseum in this way. Every sum, no matter how small, iswelcomed, and will be spent on vital elements of our work. Themuseum is one of the UK’s leading independent museums, andas a charitable trust, receives no regular government or localauthority funding. Instead it relies on visitor income, voluntaryeffort, sponsorship, donations and legacies. For more informationcontact the museum office on 01243 811363, [email protected] or visit our website,www.wealddown.co.uk. Thank you for your support – we couldnot do without it.

Joining the FriendsThe Friends of the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum providea vital source of support and income and make annual grants tothe museum (so far they have contributed an amazing £2.3million). Joining the Friends is a way of helping the museum’swork, as well as entitling you to free entry. To join call the Friends’office on 01243 811893, email [email protected] or visitour website, www.wealddown.co.uk

Supporting the museum …

7

8 9

10

P. 11-14_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:37 Page 14

The real story, garnered from parish andcensus records that do not yet quite tell aclear tale, and from fleeting remarks byrelations who are themselves now longdead, is rather different, though more dramatic. Albert Alfred’s eldest son had avague recollection of being sent to holidayon a farm when he was small, but appar-

ently by the time he was grown up almostall connection with the army of relativesreferred to as ‘the Brede people’ was lost.

Some time in the 1870s AA had remadehimself as a redoubtable Victorian entre-preneur. The ‘connection with literature’was all his own making too, for his mothercould not even sign her own name and hiseducation cannot have consisted of morethan the 3Rs at one of the twopence-a-week early elementary schools. He wasborn in Hastings in 1840, and was theyoungest of 18 children. His father,Stephen, was by that time driving a fly, thehorsedrawn fore-runner of the station taxi.Until the railways caused the coachingbusiness to collapse, he had been a coachdriver on the London-Dover route.

Hastings by that time had several inter-related Tindall families, pursuing suchuseful occupations as drapery and plumb-ing, but no mention of this thriving lowerclass community was made in AA’s subse-quent family circle. What his children andgrandchildren were told, however, was thatthe ‘yeoman farming’ had originally takenplace in Ticehurst, another parish on theKent/Sussex borders a little further fromthe coast than Brede, and that the ancestorfrom whom they all descended had origi-nally settled in Ticehurst in the early 18thcentury. He, it was said, had come from afamily of ship-builders in Scarborough.

Tindall is a Tyneside name, and there aregraves of Tindall shipwrights in the cem -etery on the hill where Anne Brontë lies, sothis family provenance seems, in essence,true. My own belief is that all the Tindallswho, like me, can trace their ancestry to thesouth-east corner of England, are probablythe descendents of this one man, JohnTindall. As the Museum Historian, DanaeTankard, has established, by 1748 he was thetenant of a cottage (Tindalls Cottage) and aparcel of land of about 26 acres inTicehurst. At least four of his children livedto adulthood, including the one who inher-ited the tenancy of the smallholding, andthey went on to beget families of their

own, so it is hardly surprising that by theearly 1800s Tindalls and Tindall-connec-tions-by-marriage were scattered in theparishes around.

What I have not yet managed to find outis exactly where Stephen, AA’s father, fits inthis chain. He was 85 when he died inHastings late in 1880, which would indi-cate he was born in 1795. I think that hemay have been the eldest child of ThomasTindall, born 1774, a grandson of the orig-inal John Tindall, but I have not yet foundwhere his baptism took place. One ofThomas’s brothers, John Tindall III, whowas having children in Ticehurst 1808-10,was by 1813 established in Hastings as alabourer and gardener. He was, I think, thepioneer who moved to the then-fishingvillage of Hastings: as the place began toexpand into one of the earliest seasideresorts some of his cousins followed him,all living in the same part of town. Stephenwas in Hastings by 1824, by which time healready had a number of children and, aswe know, was to go on to have many more.

The story of such prolific 19th centuryfamilies, exchanging timeless rurality forevolving urbanisation with all the oppor-tunities it brought, is the story of Britain aswe know it today. In once sense, theTindall who left his northern home forsome irrecoverable reason, long before theindustrial revolution, to seek a new life inthe south, is the ancestor of us all.

historic buildings


A A Tindall, c.1912.

Stephen Tindall c.1850.

Author Gillian Tindall describesher family connections toTindalls Cottage…

Tindalls –the peopleWhen my great grandfather,Albert Alfred Tindall, died in1931 at the age of 91, he wasthe head of the largest medicalpublishing house in Britain andproprietor of several magazines.The obituaries, which claimedhe was ‘connected withliterature all his life’, madereference to his being the sonof ‘the late S. Tindall of Brede’(a country district nearHastings) and to his havingbeen ‘educated privately’ –euphemism for ‘did not go to aPublic School’. The officialfamily story was that he camefrom ‘yeoman farming stock’.

Gillian Tindall is the author of anumber of books includingFootprints in Paris: A Few Streets, AFew Lives (Pimlico, 2010) andThree Houses, Many Lives (Chatto &Windus, 2012).

IN BRIEF‘ILLUMINATING THE SOUTHDOWNS’The museum is a lead partner in aproject called Illuminating the SouthDowns. Working with West SussexMuseums, the South Downs NationalPark Authority, Creative West Sussex andWest Sussex County Council, the projecthas two elements. Firstly, to identify andreview the museums and collectionslocated in West Sussex that are relevantto the South Downs National Park, andsecondly, to commission creativeresponses to the collections to engagenew audiences. Two of the museum’searly events this year, Works of Art andUse and Sheep & Shepherding on theSouth Downs, will form part of themuseum’s contribution to the project. It is funded through Arts CouncilEngland’s Renaissance Strategic Support Fund.

P. 15_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:38 Page 15


1,000 CONTACTS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION

RESOURCES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

THE BUILDINGCONSERVATION DI REC TO RY20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Cathedral Communications Limited

Telephone 01747 871717 Email [email protected]

www.buildingconservation.com01243 781312 CFT.ORG.UK

CHICHESTER FESTIVAL 2013THEATRE

Be among the first to receive the news,subscribe to regular e-bulletins.

Come, enjoy, discover and create.

Fantastic events in 2013FUSION: A weekend of creativity for everyone22 & 23 June 10.30am to 6.00pm CHILLI FIESTA - now with camping9 – 11 August 10.30am to 11.00pm

GROW! COOK! EAT! 5 & 6 October 10.30am to 5.00pm WINTER WONDERLAND 14 & 15 December 10.00am to 6.00pm

For more information and to book tickets, go to www.westdean.org.uk/events

NewNew


interpretation


Interpretingthe housefromWaldertonThe house from Walderton iscurrently undergoing a gentlere-interpretation, which will seeit presented as a victualinghouse as it might have beenaround 1680.

The interpretation draws on a reassess-ment of the structural evidence, whichwas described in the autumn 2008 edition of this magazine. As that articleexplained, we have always been puzzledby the fact that the 17th century rebuildof the medieval house produced a service‘half ’ (the western half) that was consid-erably larger than the domestic ‘half ’ (theeastern half). Whereas the domestic halfhad two heated rooms, the service half had five unheated rooms, one ofwhich contained an oven. Moreover,each half appears to have been function-ally separate as the only link betweenthem is through the small lobby insidethe front door.

The article suggested that this mayhave been because the house wasdesigned as a ‘victualing house’ or a public eating house, although there is nodocumentary evidence to support this.Victualing houses, like alehouses, had tobe licensed by the justices of the peacebecause of their association with disorderand there is no record of a licence beinggranted to any of the known occupantsof the house from Walderton.

Despite the speculative nature of theevidence, we have decided to proceedwith the re-interpretation. Victualing andale houses played an important role in17th century rural communities, whichwe think would be of interest to our visitors. Both served food, ale, beer andtobacco, either to consume on the prem-ises or to take away, and some of themalso offered overnight accommodation.They provided a service for travellers aswell as poorer residents of the commun -ity who lacked the facilities to bake andbrew. They were also places where menand women socialised, exchanging gossipand the latest news. Goods could bebought, sold or pawned there and the less

respectable were frequently the locationfor petty theft, gambling and rowdybehaviour.

The re-interpretation is already wellunderway. Recent visitors to the housewill have seen that the beds in the upperchamber now have almost complete

bedding, made by theNeedlework Group underDomestic Life InterpreterLesley Parker’s supervision. Thesage-green blanket on one ofthe beds was dyed with ‘oldnettles’, picked in late summer,and edged with a pale primrose-yellow wool thread,dyed with springtime nettles.We have moved the bedsaround and Roger Championwill be making two new storage chests. Downstairs,Roger has made a hangingcupboard and hanging shelves,a new bench, a settle chair and a number of cooperedtankards. Over the next fewmonths we will be adding arange of smaller items, includ-ing earthenware tankards, somepewter ware, clay pipes, ironfire furniture (for the upperchamber) and storage baskets.

The western half, whichshows the structural develop-

ment of the house, will remainunchanged. In reality, had this been avictualing house, customers are likely tohave been catered for in this half too,with additional sleeping accommodationprovided in the unheated upper chamber.

Danae Tankard

Roger Champion making the new settle chair for thehouse from Walderton, being interpreted as a victualinghouse.

Vintage Vehicles & Steam –17/18 AugustThis two-day spectacle celebrates the use of steam as power in thepast, this year accompanied by a host of activities and displays with a‘vintage’ theme. Steam-powered traction engines, rollers, lorries, afairground carousel, narrow gauge railways, agricultural machineryand timber sawing are among the exhibits and demonstrations duringan action-packed weekend.

P. 17_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:39 Page 17


Specialists in Truly HandmadeClay Products for restoration

Exquisite terracotta floors in a wide range of colours,shapes and sizes using techniques largely unchangedover the centuries.Briquettes with a full range of specials to create that individual fireplace.Truly handmade roof tiles and fittings in the widest rangeof colours of any manufacturer, Reds and Antiques andincluding a Buff Gault clay for Cambridgeshire and Kent.Greatly sought after by conservationists and discerningcustomers alike. We also make ‘Mathematical Tiles’.

Aldershaw Hand-made Tiles LtdPokehold Wood,Kent Street,Sedlescombe,East Sussex TN33 0SD

Tel 01424 756777 Fax 01424 756888www.aldershaw.co.uk

All products are made in the heartof Sussex from our own local clays

Timber & Builders Merchants

We stock a wide selection of timber and timber related products which gives you more choice and provides you with a single source solution. This saves you valuable time and money.

• Shiplap claddings in Softwood & Hardwood

• Softwood, Hardwood & MDF mouldings

• Doors, Windows & Conservatories

• Solid wood worktops

• Plywood cutting service

• Hardwood

• Panel Products

• Decking

• Fencing

• Timber ... plus many more

Enthusiastic supporters ofthe Weald & Downland

Open Air Museum

Your nearest depots are:

Quarry Lane, Chichester

tel: 01243 785141

Station Yard, Bognor Regis

tel: 01243 863100

www.covers.biz

... making the... making the

most outmost out

of woodof wood

J. & J.W. Longbottom LtdIron Founders

for

CAST IRON RAINWATER GOODS(Gutters, Pipes, Air Bricks, Ornamental Heads, Grates)

Bridge Foundry, Holmfirth, Huddersfield

Tel. 01484 682141

FILDES ROOFING LTD

Please contact us on: Tel/Fax: 01243 8287181 Spencer Street, Bognor Regis

West Sussex PO21 1AP

specialists in● Slating ● Tiling● Lead Work ● Stone Slating

Dr Gerard C J LynchPhD Historic Brickwork Technology

MA Conservation of Historic Brickwork

[email protected]

Tel/fax 01908 584163

‘The Red Mason’International Historic Brickwork Consultant

Master Bricklayer, Carver, Educator & Author



FEBRUARY 18-22 WINTER HALF-TERM FAMILYACTIVITIESPut on your winter woollies and wellies and warm up with a week of creative activities andcountryside skills – outdoor trails, arts, crafts andideas to inspire all the family. Under cover if wet

MARCH4-10 WORKS OF ART AND USEThe museum’s designated collection of rural tradesand crafts artefacts is open each day this week inthe Downland Gridshell10 OPEN HOUSE ON MOTHERINGSUNDAYA special spring day to welcome visitors old andnew at the start of the season. £3.50 entry foreveryone, plus our traditional bunch of daffodilsfor mothers and grandmothers 12 Conference: The Rise of the Arch(Bookable only)29-1 April THE MUSEUM AT EASTER Traditional Easter celebrations, with a bonnet-making competition and parade on the Monday.On 30 March-1 April the Tudor Group historicalinterpretation society will reveal more about Tudorlife and Easter traditions

APRIL3 and 10 WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS –EASTER HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES Hands-on activities for families. The school holidayperiod is a delightful time for a visit, with spring inthe air, newborn lambs, and horses at work onseasonal tasks 6 Friends of the Museum MurderMystery event with Funtington Players(Bookable only)13 Friends of the Museum AnnualGeneral Meeting in the DownlandGridshell7-11 Sheep & Shepherding in theSouth DownsAn exhibition in the hall from Crawley plus sheep-related displays and demonstrations on site

MAY5-6 FOOD & SOUTH DOWNS FAIRA wonderful choice of delicious fare to sample andbuy from quality producers, plus tastings, cookeryclasses and demonstrations. Stands will featurelocal produce, and displays, demonstrations andactivities will celebrate the South Downs17-18 Museums at Night (Bookable only)Join in this national event. The museum will beopen from 8.00pm-11.00pm, bookable only.Discover what the hours of dusk and darknessmeant to the rural peasant in the past20-26 Historic Clothing Exhibition An exhibition on the museum’s Historic ClothingProject, held in the hall from Crawley27-31 SPRINGTIME HALF-TERMFAMILY ACTIVITIESCome and enjoy springtime in the countryside.Learn about the natural world, and enjoy arts,crafts, games and much more. For all the family.Under cover if wet

JUNE16 SUSSEX DAYA special day to celebrate all that is great aboutSussex, including its buildings, countryside, history,crafts, and food and drink, its status as the homeof stoolball, plus talks and demonstrations22-28 Historic Gardens Week Demonstrations in the museum’s period gardens,plus an exhibition in the hall from Crawley andunder Titchfield market hall

23 Midsummer EveTraditional celebrations with dancing around themaypole, morris dancing and traditional music

JULY21 RARE BREEDS SHOW Four legs, furry legs, feathered legs … come andsee cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry in thisdelightful agricultural show for rare and traditionalbreeds of farm animals. It’s one of the biggestshows of its kind in the south east and hugelypopular with visitors and exhibitors. Plus craft and trade stands with a countryside theme.

AUGUSTWeds in August WONDERFULWEDNESDAYS – FAMILY ACTIVITIES Hands-on activities for families. Have a go at allkinds of interesting and unusual countryside skills,traditional crafts, activities and games. Under coverif wet.17-18 VINTAGE & STEAM All the bustle and excitement of a Steam Festival,with steam engines on display. With steam rollers,steam lorries, model boats, miniature railways andengines, and the ever-popular steam-poweredcarousel gallopers and vintage fair

SEPTEMBER7 Friends of the Museum Dinner withGregg Wallace (Bookable only)21-22 Medicine & Mortality 1500-1900Historical study weekend with bookable talks.Displays and demonstrations around the site,including the Tudor Group historical interpretationsociety focusing on domestic rituals aroundmedicine and mortality

OCTOBER7 Conference: The Medieval Roofs ofEurope (Bookable only)12-13 AUTUMN COUNTRYSIDE SHOW Experience the sights, sounds and smells of thecountryside at harvest time. Enjoy heavy horsesand vintage tractors ploughing, steam-poweredthreshing, traditional craft demonstrations, ahorticultural show and a chance to browse andbuy for gifts with a countryside theme28-1 November AUTUMN HALF TERMFAMILY ACTIVITIESWonderful seasonal activities and fun for families.Play conkers, make windmills, have a go atblacksmithing and much more. Under cover if wet.

NOVEMBER16-17 CHRISTMAS MARKET Find gifts or treats at our Christmas market, set in andaround the historic buildings. Over one hundred stallswith arts, crafts, food and unusual gits. Admissiononly £4.00, including access to all museum exhibits

DECEMBER1 TREE DRESSING A wonderful celebration for all the family of thelife-giving properties of trees in National TreeWeek. Make a lantern (bring a jam jar!), and jointhe procession to dress the trees as darkness falls.Plus headdress making, music, dance and seasonaltasty treats. From 12.30-4.00pm16 CAROL EVENINGin the house from North Cray: 7.00pm26 December-1 January 2014 THE MUSEUM AT CHRISTMAS Experience the traditions of Christmas past anddiscover how our ancestors enjoyed the FestiveSeason. Walk off the Christmas pudding as youenjoy our traditionally decorated houses with their crackling log fires, music and demonstrations

WHAT’S ON 2013

P. 19_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:39 Page 19


Permacultureperm

acultureorder from

www.green-shopping.co.uk

Ben Lawbooks & DVD

As seen on Channel 4’s

Grand Designs.

or call us on 01730 823 311postage & packing FREE (UK only) when ordered online

Ben LawBen Law

.wwww.per.

wwww.per

Ben Lawbooks & DVDBen Lawbooks & DVDBen Lawbooks & DVD

macultur

permacultur

perAs seen onAs seen on

sChannel 4’sChannel 4’

Permaculture

from the

Permaculture App available for iPad, iPhone

ouch and iPod TToApp Storefrom the

emacultur

.uk.co

emacultur

.uk.cowww.green-shopping

usor call usor call packinpostage & packinpostage &

order fromorder from

green-shopping.co.uk

s Channel 4 sChannel 4and Designs.Grand Designs.Gr

3s on 01730 823 3s on 01730 823ordereg FREE (UK only) when ordere(UK only) wheng FREE

co.uk311311

onlineed onlineed

The Downland Gridshell, Weald & Downland Open Air Museum,

Singleton, West Sussex PO18 0EU

Tel: 01243 811472 :: www.sussexoak.co.uk

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]


courses


On 23 March Wendy Tuppen will lead a day teaching the skill of handsmocking. Students will create a sampler using traditional stitches thatwould have been found in shepherds’, wheelwrights’ and farm workers’smocks. The course will include a visit to the museum’s artefact store inthe Downland Gridshell to see historical examples of smocks in our

collections. A new addition to our smallholder days is one on handsheep-shearing. This will take place on a local farm and will be

led by Phil Hart of Plumpton College.Another exciting introduction is prehistoric pottery, led bylocal ceramicist Alison Sandeman, which will exploretechniques used by early potters at the Neolithic enclosureon the Trundle, not more than a mile from the museum.This course was the suggestion of new Learningdepartment member, Lesley Denham.

Moving to the Bronze Age, leader Fergus Milton will teachthe magical process of turning rock into metal on his Bronze

Age copper smelting day in July. Participants should be able tosmelt their own nugget of copper to take home.

Evening talksThe museum is running its sixth summer annual series of evening talks,Tales of the Downs & Beyond. The series will consist of the usual eclecticmix, all with a connection to our beautiful Downs!

Museum conferences for 2013Following on from the success of the Raising the Roof conference inautumn 2012, the museum is planning conferences in both the springand autumn this year. The first, in partnership with Lambs Bricks, isentitled The Rise of the Arch: a one-day conference on gauged archesin red rubber, and takes place on 12 March. This conference willconsider how arches stand up, what gives them their strength, and howbig they can be. Speakers include Chris Powell of South Bank University,George Saumarez Smith of Adam Architecture, Richard Hill of Arup,Richard Flegg and Charles Reilly of Kent Conservation & Restoration, andlong-standing museum course tutor and historic brickwork expert GerardLynch. Alongside the lectures will be demonstrations. A full programmecan be found on the museum’s website, under the What’s On tab, in thecalendar section.

Having examined last year thehistory of timber roofs in Britain,the autumn conference on 7 October will be The MedievalRoofs of Europe. The pioneeringresearch of Henri Deneux onmedieval roofs of northern Franceis well known in the UK, but whathas been happening since his work in the 1920s? The answer, of course, is a great deal, but most of it is little known in thiscountry, even to specialists.Fieldwork has been underpinnedby the widespread use ofdendrochronology to give a newunderstanding of the developmentof roofs in the 12th-15th centuries.The conference will bring togethersome of the foremost currentresearchers, including from France

and Germany. Further information will be on the museum’s website inthe summer.

2013 course bursary schemeThrough the generosity of the Historic Houses Association and the lateMary Cowin, the museum has again been able to offer bursaries forpeople wanting to train in traditional timber framing. Under the 2013scheme five bursary students have been selected by interview and willundertake one of the museum’s Timber framing from scratch coursesled by Joe Thompson, free of charge, later in the year.

Historic building conservation coursesThe museum will hold its first Introduction to straw bale building on 14 May. Led by Barbara Jones, a renowned expert in straw as a buildingmaterial, this classroom-based day will be packed with facts and casestudies - essential for anyone considering building with straw.The risk of fire is a concern for anyone who lives in or looksafter old buildings. The museum will run a course on Fire andhistoric buildings on 23 May, which will look at legislation,insurance issues, fire and thatched buildings, fire resistanceof traditional materials and sympathetic solutions. The daywill be led by four experts in this specialist field.Two half-day sessions on 8 March will look at parts L and M of the Building Regulations, and consider theirapplication when dealing with historic buildings. Part L, ledby John Penton, an architect with 40 years’ experience ofhousing, care projects, environments and facilities for thedisabled and older people, considers access to, and use of publicbuildings, such as St Paul’s Cathedral. And Part M, led by Phil Ogley ofOxley Conservation, relates to the conservation of fuel and power. Thereis a discount if morning and afternoon sessions are booked together.

A new practical day ledby Joe Thompson isMake a carpenter’strestle. Students will cutand fit all thecomponents for aSussex-style trestlewhich they will takehome, armed with theknowledge to make itsmatching pair! The verypopular series, Thevernacular house, isback and starts with The medieval houseon 1 May. There is asubstantial discount ifstudents book to attendall five days.

A new day school, Cleaning Masonry Buildings Responsibly, led byStonehealth Ltd, will include time where individual concerns can bediscussed.

Traditional rural trades and craftscoursesNo less than 17 brand new day schools and weekend courses arecontained in the 2013 brochure: they encompass working with wood,countryside crafts and skills, historic trades, historic life and historic textiles.There are three new woodworking courses in the programme. One ofthese is Traditional wooden rake making, led by Mark Allery, our regularpole lathe-turning tutor and demonstrator. This is an opportunity to makeyour own personalised rake for all those garden chores. The others arewood carving courses. Students can choose between spending a daycarving a leaf-shaped bowl or a weekend on a more ambitious project.The tutors, Jess Jay and John Vardon, belong to the Daywood Carverswho regularly demonstrate at the museum.For those who prefer to carve in stone Will Spankie is offering a newweekend course to create the ancient image of the green man that isfound throughout the British Isles. Stained glass tutor David Lilly willteach a new day school in which students will learn how to make astained glass box using copper foil. Ruth Goodman will present a new day school on the History of knitting fromthe 16th to the 20th century. This is already proving very popular. TheMuseum’s Historian Danae Tankard and Historic Clothing Consultant BarbaraPainter have joined forces to deliver a day on the clothing of the 17thcentury rural poor, reflecting the period of some of the museum’s houses.

Museum’s award-winning course programme for 2013

210 – courses and

day schools were held at the museum in

2012

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.

Repair of timber-framed buildings.Master carpenter Roger Championwith repair samples.

Architectural terracotta.

Pete

r Ra

dos

P. 21-25_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:40 Page 21

courses 2013


Timber: identification of speciesLeader: David WoodbridgeWednesday 6 March £99

Traditional timber frameconstructionLeader: Richard HarrisThursday 7 March £99

Historic buildings & regulation:Part L (conservation of fuel andpower)9.30am-12.45pm Leader: Phil OgleyMonday 11 March £60

Historic buildings, regulation &accessibility: Part M (access to anduse of buildings)1.45pm-5pmLeader: John PentonMonday 11 March £60If both half-day sessions are bookedtogether, the fee will be £99

Conference: The Rise of the Arch9.30am-4.30pmTuesday 12 March 2013 £85

Understanding historic timberframe design9.30 am-5pm Leaders: Joe Thompson & JimBlackburnWednesday 13 March £99

Oak timber framing: jowl postsPart of the Museum’s Timber FramingFrom Scratch series. Leader: Joe ThompsonMonday-Friday 18-22 March £495

Assessing significance: planningpolicy & conservation plans Leader: Eddie BoothTuesday 19 March £99

Jointing, pointing & re-pointinghistoric brickworkLeader: Gerard LynchMonday-Tuesday 25-26 March £220

Repair of timber framed buildingsLeaders: Richard Harris & RogerChampionWednesday 27 March £99

Schiften day school – anintroduction to German roofcarpentryLeader: Christian ap IagoMonday 15 April £110

Recording vernacular buildings forconservation – THREE LINKED DAYSCHOOLSDay one: Observing and sketching. Tuesday 16 April £99Day two: Imposing a grid. Tuesday 23 April £99Day three: Studio techniques. Tuesday 30 April £99(£285 if all three days are bookedtogether)

An introduction to dating timber-framed buildingsLeader: Joe Thompson Wednesday 17 April £99

Introduction to leadwork forspecifiers and installersLeader: Nigel JohnstonThursday 18 April £110

Practical leadworkLeader: Nigel JohnstonFriday 19 April £110

Oak timber framing: braces & studsPart of the Museum’s Timber FramingFrom Scratch series. Leader: Joe ThompsonMonday-Friday 22-26 April £495

Tool sharpening: the cutting edgeLeader: Bruce LuckhurstMonday-Tuesday 29-30 April £199

The Vernacular House 1350-2000A series of five linked day-schoolsexploring the chronologicaldevelopment of houses drawing onthe latest research. Students bookingon all five days will receive adiscounted rate of £375

Medieval houses in town & countryLeaders: Sarah Pearson & Bob MeesonWednesday 1 May £99

The Tudor & Jacobean house, 16th-17th centuryLeaders: David Martin & Linda HallWednesday 15 May £99

The Georgian houseLeaders: James Ayres & tbcTuesday 4 June £99

The Victorian houseLeaders: Susie Barson & Danae TankardThursday 20 June £99

The 20th century houseLeaders: Richard Hayward & Alan PowersTuesday 9 July £99

Introduction to gauged brickworkLeader: Gerard LynchMonday-Wednesday 13-15 May£350

The First Straw: an introduction tostrawbale buildingLeader: Barbara JonesTuesday 14 May £99Wattle & daubLeader: Joe ThompsonTuesday 14 May £99English brickwork: Tudor toEdwardianLeader: Gerard LynchThursday 16 May £99Oak timber framing: raftersPart of the Museum’s Timber FramingFrom Scratch series. Leader: Joe ThompsonMonday-Friday 20-24 May £495Historic roof coveringsLeader: Kevin StubbsMonday 3 June £99Limewash, distemper & linseed-based paints: a practical workshopLeader: Sibylle HeilTuesday 4 June £99

Historic building conservation & the use of traditional materials & processes

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

Flintwalling.

Wattle and daub.

P. 21-25_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:41 Page 22

Repair of traditionally constructedbrickworkLeader: Gerard LynchMonday-Wednesday 10-12 June £350Practical thatchingLeader: Chris TomkinsWednesday 12 June £150Lime mortars for traditionalbrickworkLeader: Gerard LynchThursday 13 June £110Cleaning masonry buildingsresponsiblyLeader: Brian Crowe, Stonehealth LtdFriday 14 June £99Introduction to timber repairsLeader: Joe ThompsonMonday-Wednesday 17-19 June £299Fire & historic buildingsLeaders: Steve Emery, Richard Playle,Marjorie Sanders & Roger AngoldWednesday 19 June £99Practical scarf repairsLeader: Joe ThompsonThursday-Friday 20-21 June £199A practical introduction to signwritingLeader: Wayne OsborneMonday 24 June £99Practical Lime PlasteringLeader: George Terry, Highbury CollegeThursday 27 June £99The roofing squareLeader: Joe ThompsonThursday 4 July £99Make a carpenter’s trestleLeader: Joe ThompsonFriday 5 July £99

Home owners dayLeader: Kevin Stubbs Saturday 14 September £75

Oak timber framing: jowl postsPart of the Museum’s Timber FramingFrom Scratch series. Leader: Joe ThompsonMonday-Friday 16-20 September £495

Architectural terracottaLeader: Amy SmithMonday 23 September £99

Strength grading of oakLeader: David WoodbridgeTuesday-Thursday 1-3 October £450

Conference: Medieval Roofs ofEuropeMonday 7 October £85

Timber decay & its treatmentLeader: Brian RidoutWednesday 16 October £99

Oak timber framing: braces &studsPart of the Museum’s Timber FramingFrom Scratch series. Leader: Joe ThompsonMonday-Friday 21-25 October £495

Flint wallingLeaders: Mark Middleton, Chris Rosier& Brian DawsonTuesday-Wednesday 5-6 November£260

Oak timber framing: raftersPart of the Museum’s Timber FramingFrom Scratch series. Leader: Joe ThompsonMonday-Friday 25-29 November £495

courses 2013Historic building conservation & the use of traditional materials & processes

▲

Timber: identification of species.

Living willow chair workshop9.30am-5pm Leader: Ganesh Bruce/Elaine KingsSaturday 2 March £90

Poultry husbandry10.30am-4pmLeader: David BlandSaturday 2 March £50Saturday 5 October £50

Practical poultry session10.30am-12.30pmLeaders: Ken Rowsell and David BlandSaturday 8 June £25

Learn to crochet10am-5pmLeader: Rose SavageSunday 3 March £50 FULL

Spinning: preparation and the dropspindle10am-4pmLeader: Steve KennettTuesday 5 March £50Saturday 31 August £50

Spinning: an introduction to thewheel10am-4pmLeader: Steve KennettTuesday 12 March £50Sunday 1 September £50

Rag-rugging workshop9.30am-4pmLeader: Linda ChiversFriday 8 March £50 FULLFriday 12 July £50Friday 13 September £50

Beekeeping for beginners10.30am-4.30pmLeaders: Christine Stevens and EmmaO’DriscollSaturday 9 March £50Leaded-light stained glass9am-5pm Leader: David Lilly Friday 15 March £100 FULLSaturday 16 March £100Hedgelaying9.30am-4pmLeader: John Lindfield Saturday-Sunday 16-17 March £130Tudor fyshe cookery10am-4pmLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 16 March £60Coracle making workshop9.30am-4.30pmSaturday-Sunday 16-17 March £220Thursday-Friday 26-27 September£220Hand smocked sampler NEWWendy TuppenSaturday 23 March £50Sussex trug making workshop9.30am-4.30pmLeaders: Chris and Robin TuppenSaturday-Sunday 23-24 March £130FULLSaturday-Sunday 27-28 April £130FULLBark basketry 9.30am-4pmLeader: John RhyderSunday 24 March £65

Traditional rural trades & crafts

Coracle making workshop – volunteer Ted Talmadge perfectinghis skills on the water.


P. 21-25_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:41 Page 23

Horse logging10am-3.30pmLeaders: Robert Sampson and MarkBuxtonSunday 24 March £85

Irons in the fire9am-5pmLeader: Martin FoxFriday 5 April £85 FULLSaturday 6 April £85 FULLFriday 17 May £85Saturday 18 May £85 FULLFriday 23 August £85Saturday 24 August £85

Ropework animals10am-4pmLeader: Charlie Tyrrell Saturday 6 April £50

Tapestry workshop: weave alandscape 10am-4pmLeader: Hilary CharlesworthSaturday 13 April £50Sunday 1 September £50

Medieval tile making workshop9.30am-5pmLeader: Karen SladeSunday 14 April £95

Driving heavy horses10am-3.30pm Leader: Mark BuxtonSunday 14 April £85 FULLThursday 9 May £85 FULL Sunday 9 June £85 FULLThursday 20 June £85

Cane seating workshop9.30am-5pmLeader: Wendy ManserWednesday 17 April £55

Keeping sheep9.30am-5pmLeaders: David and Helen BurdenSaturday 20 April £65

Skep making10am-4pmLeader: Derek SleeSaturday-Sunday 20-21 April £90

Keeping pigs9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Suzi WestronSunday 21 April £65

Willow garden supports9.30am-5pmLeader: Ganesh Bruce/Elaine KingsSunday 21 April £75

Tree walkStarts at 2pm and finishes with tea and cake. Leader: Jonathan RobertsFriday 26 April £15

Willow workshop: weave and walea basket9am-5pmLeader: Deborah AlbonSaturday 27 April £65Saturday 6 July £65

Introduction to pole lathe turning9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Mark AllerySaturday 27 April £60 FULLSunday 28 April £60 FULLFriday 30 August £60Saturday 31 August £60

Pole lathe turning workshop:improve your green woodworkingskills9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Mark AllerySunday 1 September £60

Dawn walk with breakfastStarts at 4am and finishes with fullbreakfast at the Museum.Leader: Jonathan MycockSaturday 4 May £20

Felting for fun10am-4pmLeader: Hilary Charlesworth Saturday 4 May £50Introduction to traditional dairying10am-4pmLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 11 May £60 FULLWattle and daub9.30am-5pmLeader: Joe ThompsonTuesday 14 May £99Victorian cleaning10am-4pmLeader: Ruth GoodmanTuesday 14 May £60Historic cheese making10am-4pmLeader: Ruth Goodman Wednesday 15 May £60

Tatting workshop10am-4pmLeader: Angela KielFriday 17 May £50

Scything day9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Mark AlleryFriday 17 May £60Tuesday 10 September £60

Patchwork for busy people9.30am-4pmLeader: Linda ChiversSunday 9 May £50Saturday 18 May £50 FULL

Food for free9.30am-4pmLeader: Ian HumphreySunday 19 May £65

Greenwood chair making week9am-5pmLeader: Paul HaydenMonday-Saturday 20-25 May £300

Hand shearing NEW10am-4pmLeader: Phil HartSaturday 18 May £50

Charcoal burning using atraditional earth kiln9.30am-1.30pm (Saturday)Leader: Jonathan RobertsSaturday 25 May £50 FULL

Stone carving: tealight holder NEW9.30am-5pmLeader: Will SpankieSaturday 25 May £70

Letter cutting in stone9.30am-5pmLeader: Will SpankieSunday 26 May £70

Make a traditional hand-sewnbook9.30am-4.30pm Leader: Gaynor WilliamsSaturday 1 June £60

Botanical illustration: medicinalplants10am-4pmLeader: Leigh Ann GaleSaturday 1 June £60

Writing about nature: creativewriting prose and poetry10am-4pmLeader: James SimpsonSaturday 1 June £50

Stuart farmhouse day in Pendean10am-4pmLeader: Lesley ParkerWednesday 5 June £60

Dusk walkLeader: Jonathan MycockFriday 14 June £15

Seventeenth-century rural clothingNEW10am-4.30pmLeaders: Barbara Painter and DanaeTankardMonday 17 June £60

Historic clothing day: low to highstatus Tudor clothing10am-4pmLeader: Barbara PainterTuesday 18 June £60

Secrets of the stillroom9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Christina StapleyFriday 21 June £50

Herbs for health9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Christina Stapley Saturday 22 June £50

Yeoman family fare10am-4pmLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 29 June £60

Natural navigation walkStarts at 2pm and finishes with tea and cake. Leader: Tristan GooleySaturday 29 June £20

Leather belt workshop9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Emma O’DriscollSaturday 30 June £60 FULL

Crewelwork techniques NEW9.30am-4pmLeader: Caroline VincentSunday 30 June £50

Bobbin lace making for beginners10am-4pmLeaders: Eva Falconer and Gay McCartSunday 7 July £50

The country house kitchen9.30am-5pmLeader: Peter BrearsWednesday-Thursday 10/11 July£150

Churches and chapels, and how to study them9.30am-4.30pmLeader: David ParsonsFriday 12 July £60

Corn dolly workshop10am-5pmLeader: Verna Bailey Saturday 13 July £50 Sunday 15 September £50

Writing nature poetry: ‘the shapingspirit of the imagination’10am-4pmLeader: James SimpsonSaturday 13 July £50

Prehistoric pottery NEW9.30am-5pmLeader: Alison SandemanSunday 14 July £95

Natural dyeing10am-4pmLeader: Lesley ParkerWednesday 24 July £50 Make a felt hat10am-4pmLeader: Hilary CharlesworthSaturday 27 July £50

courses 2013Traditional rural trades & crafts

▲

Traditional English longbow.


P. 21-25_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:41 Page 24

courses 2013


Bronze age copper smelting NEW10am-4pmLeader: Fergus Milton Sunday 28 July £80Carve a wooden bowl NEW9am-4.30pm Leader: Jess Jay and John VardonSunday 28 July £65 Birds of prey experience10am-4pmLeader: Ray PriorTuesday 30 July £75 FULLMonday 12 August £75 FULLTuesday 20 August £75Prehistoric bead and cordageworkshop10am-4.30pmLeaders: John and Val Lord Friday 2 August £50Prehistoric tool making workshop9.30am-5pmLeaders: John and Val LordSaturday-Sunday 3-4 August £100Animal tracking9.30am-4pmLeader: Ian HumphreySunday 4 August £65

Weave a rush hat9.30am-5pmLeader: Rachel FrostThursday 8 August £60

Weave a rush bag9.30am-5pmLeader: Rachel FrostFriday 9 August £60

Peg loom weaving NEW10am-4pmLeader: Hilary Charlesworth and Sam St Clair-Ford Sunday 11 August £50 FULL

Medieval experience day10am-4pmLeader: Lesley ParkerThursday 22 August £60

Botanical illustration: the cottagegarden10am-4pmLeader: Leigh Ann GaleSaturday 24 August £60

Let food be your medicine9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Christina StapleyThursday 29 August £50

An A-Z of medicinal trees9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Christina Stapley Friday 30 August £50

Bat walkStarts at 7.15pm, finishes with hotdrinksLeader: Sue HarrisFriday 30 August £10

Stone carving: green man NEW9.30am-5pmLeader: Will SpankieSaturday 31 August-Sunday 1 September £140

Shooting the traditional longbow10am-5pmSaturday 7 September £50Sunday 8 September £50

Tudor and Victorian hair and make-up 10am-4pm,Leader: Ruth GoodmanWednesday 11 September £60

A history of knitting from the Tudorperiod onwards NEWLeader: Ruth GoodmanThursday 12 September £60 FULL

Carve a wooden spoon10am-4.30pmLeader: Dave JacksonThursday 12 September £50

Make a hazel stool with a wovenwillow seat9.30am-5pmLeader: Dave JacksonFriday 13 September £65

Home owners day9.30am-5pmLeader: Kevin Stubbs Saturday 14 September £75

Make a bentwood chair9.30am-5pmLeader: Dave JacksonSaturday-Sunday 14-15 October £200

Tudor brewing and baking10am-4pm. Leader: Cathy Flower-BondSaturday 28 September £60 FULL

Hedgerow preserves10am-4pmLeader: Cathy Flower-BondSunday 29 September £60

Field butchery9.30am-4pmLeader: Ian Humphrey Sunday 29 September £65

Weekend wood carving course NEW9am-4.30pm Leader: Jess Jay and John VardonSaturday-Sunday 5-6 October £130

Traditional wooden rake makingNEW9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Mark AlleryTuesday 8 October £60

Stained glass box NEW9am-5pm Leader: David LillyFriday 18 October £100

Introduction to chair making9.30am-4.30pm Leader: Mervyn MewisSaturday 26 October £85

Inkle loom weaving10am-4pmLeader: Steve KennettSaturday-Sunday 26-27 October £95

Introduction to coppicemanagement 9.30am-4pmLeader: Jonathan Roberts & JohnLindfieldSaturday 2 November £50

Ploughing with heavy horses 10am-3.30pmLeaders: John McDermott, RobertSampson and Mark BuxtonSaturday 2 November £85Sunday 3 November £85 Sunday 8 December £85

Leather belt pouch workshop NEW9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Emma O’DriscollSunday 3 November £65 FULL

The Tudor bakehouse: pies andpastries10am-4pm Leader: Ruth GoodmanTuesday 5 November £60Wednesday 6 November £60

Meat and more meat!10am-4pm Leader: Ruth GoodmanThursday 7 November £60

Woven hurdle making 9.30am-4pm Leader: John LindfieldSaturday-Sunday 9-10 November £165

Print your own woodcut Christmascards NEW9.30am-4.30pmLeader: Will DykeSaturday 9 November £65 FULLSunday 10 November £65 FULL

Christmas papier mâché 9.30am-12.30pm; two linked sessionsLeader: Linda Chivers Friday 22 November, Friday 29November £50

Candlelit walkA guided walk starting at 5pm, finishing with mulled wine and mince piesLeader: Jonathan RobertsThursday 28 November £15

Tudor Christmas food10am-4pmLeader: Ruth GoodmanTuesday 3 December £60Wednesday 4 December £60

Christmas rag-rugging9.30am-4pmLeader: Linda ChiversFriday 6 December £50

Three wreaths for Christmas NEW10am-4pmLeader: Christina StapleyWednesday 18 December £55

Christmas herbal gifts anddecorations9.30am-4pm Leader: Christina StapleyThursday 19 December £55

The joy of carols: Victorian andEdwardian NEW10am-12pmLeader: Malcolm BrinsonFriday 20 December 2013 £15

Traditional rural trades & crafts

Willow workshop: weave and wale a basket.

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

P. 21-25_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:41 Page 25

courses 2013


The housing of rurallabourers in 19th centurySussexWednesday 17 AprilThe housing conditions of rurallabourers came under close scrutiny inthe 19th century as social reformersand the state began to realise thathealth and moral and social welfarewere closely connected to the physicalenvironment in which people lived. Thistalk will draw on evidence from a rangeof 19th century parliamentary reportswhich addressed the subject of ruralliving conditions and proposedremedies for their improvement, andlook at examples of ‘model’ cottages,including examples from the Chichesterarea.Danae Tankard combines her role asa social historian at the museum with apart-time position as a senior lecturerin the Department of History at theUniversity of Chichester. She is theauthor of Houses of the Weald &Downland: People & Houses of South-east England c. 1300-1900 (CarnegiePublishing, 2012) which includes achapter on Gonville Cottage, a mid-19th century estate cottage, now partof the museum’s historic buildingscollection.

Planet on the tableTuesday 23 April Ted Vincent’s talk will reflect on his workas a woodcarver, looking at theinspiration behind his pieces, and willbe illustrated with images of his work.Ted’s work has been described as a“window on the landscape, a marriageof interior and exterior space. Providingboth an awareness of, and an affinitywith the past, its contemporaryinterpretation provokes an investigationinto the relationship between man,nature and object.” Ted Vincent says inspiration for hiswork comes from the “detail, beautyand values set by the natural world”.Ted trained at the Royal College of Art.His work can be seen at the BethnalGreen Museum of Childhood, (V&AMuseum) and is in private collectionsin the UK and the USA. Formerly asenior lecturer at the School of Design,Kingston University he now works as atutor at West Dean College.

Limeburners, lords andlabourers Wednesday 1 MayAn illustrated talk telling the story of thechalk and lime industry that oncedominated the Arun Valley. It traces theindustry back to medieval times andrelates why chalk was so important tothe local economy, why the greatlandowners were so anxious to exploitit, and the part it played in the

development of the local canal andnavigation systems.Richard Howell is a buildings andlandscape historian and writer who haslived in West Sussex all his life. For anumber of years he lived in the villageof Amberley which sparked his interestin the chalk and lime industry.

Shops and shopping: thehistory of the small shopthrough the ages Tuesday 7 May We take shopping for grantednowadays, using our local shops (if we still have them) and going to thesupermarket. We can even order onlineand have a home delivery at ourconvenience. How different was it forour ancestors – would we recognise amedieval shopfront in our own HighStreet? And what about shop signs andshop names – how have they changed?Are we still a ‘nation of shopkeepers’? Janet Pennington, born in Sussex, is aregional historian with a PhD in early-modern inn and tavern history. She hasspent over 30 years researching localhistory and has published numerousarticles. Janet taught local history andpalaeography for the Centre ofContinuing Education at the Universityof Sussex for 20 years.

On the trail of FloraThompson, beyondCandleford Green Wednesday 5 June This talk tells of the 14 years duringwhich Flora Thompson lived andworked in East Hampshire before shebecame famous. It was one of her most prolific periods as a writer, a timeduring which she learned her craft anddeveloped the style which eventuallybore fruit in Lark Rise to Candleford.The talk covers her contacts with ArthurConan Doyle and George Bernard Shawduring her time as Grayshott assistantsub-postmistress, an unrequited loveaffair and the initial tragedy of the FirstWorld War followed by a commitmentduring the 1920s which developed herwriting skills and style which was tobecome internationally successful in‘Lark Rise’. Jo Owen Smith was born and broughtup in Buckinghamshire. Jo worked forover 25 years in industry, but since1994 has concentrated full-time onwriting and publishing.

Making War Horse, themovieWednesday 12 June This illustrated talk by AndrewRobertshaw will tell of his experience as the military consultant for the filmWar Horse. He worked on the script

and research before spending most ofautumn 2010 on location where headvised the production team, includingStephen Spielberg. He was given theopportunity to appear in the film as aBritish officer and German soldier.Andrew is able to provide an insideview of the production from the earlyscript to the last day of filming,accompanied by his photographs taken during the production.

Andrew Robertshaw is Curator andManager of The Royal Logistic CorpsMuseum in Deepcut as well as anhonorary lecturer at University CollegeLondon and honorary research fellowat the Centre for First World Warstudies at the University ofBirmingham. Andy is also co-director ofBattlefield Partnerships Ltd and thecompany is currently preparing for twoarchaeological projects on the WesternFront. Andy’s publications includearticles, essays and books on militaryhistory. He has regularly appeared inarchaeology and military series such asChannel 4’s Time Team.

Dressing for work: ruralclothing at the Weald &Downland Open AirMuseum Monday 17 June This talk will focus on the replica historicclothing that has been produced at themuseum by the Historic ClothingProject, why we wanted to introducehistoric clothing on site, how we make itand how we use it.Barbara Painter works as a costumedesigner for historic houses andmuseums that use replica clothing. Sheis currently involved with the museum’sHistoric Clothing Project, and regularlycontributes to its Needlework Group.Lesley Parker has a BA (Hons) inhistory and has taught history andbeen involved in museum education inSussex for the last 17 years. She is themuseum’s Domestic Interpreter andalso runs the museum’s HistoricClothing Project.

Horse heritage Wednesday 3 July This talk explores what horse heritage isand where it is found. Horse heritage isa wide ranging topic covering thelandscape, buildings, art and knowledgeassociated with breeding horses andtheir use in leisure and work. Peter Burman grew up on his familyfarm in a rural part of Warwickshire,where he had his own horse and hismother was a talented show jumper.After reading history of art at Cambridgehis career was in historic buildingsconservation. Peter feels thatarchitecture and artefacts connectedwith horses, and the ‘intangible heritage’of the skills associated with rearing andhandling horses, form a distinct and vitalpart of the nation’s heritage. He is anadviser to the European Association ofHistoric Horse Studs on heritagematters. At Hopetoun House nearEdinburgh, he is a trustee and archivist,where he has ample opportunities forstudying the culture associated withhorses on a large private estate.

Wildlife I have knownTuesday 9 July People have interacted with thelandscape for millennia and this talkexplores the many plants and trees tobe found in the Sussex landscape andthe uses they can be put to for food,medicine and utility together with someinteresting facts about the animals thatshare our landscape.John Rhyder is a well-regardednaturalist and wilderness skills expertand also a certified tracker through theinternationally recognised cyber trackersystem of evaluation which started inSouth Africa and is currently beingadopted in many other countries. Johnwas responsible for introducing thissystem into the UK for the first time in2012.

Tindalls: the story so far Tuesday 16 JulyTindalls Cottage is the museum’s latestexhibit building, which is due to becompleted in 2013. Hear themuseum’s Carpenter-in-Residence, JoeThompson, describe his role in theproject. Topics covered will includebackground research, methodology ofrepairing the dismantled timbers andthe frame-raising process. Variousdiscoveries were made during theproject, leading towards a wonderfulnew furnished exhibit for the museum.Joe Thompson of Sussex Oak & Iron isCarpenter-in-Residence at the Weald &Downland Open Air Museum, where heteaches a range of historic carpentrycourses. He has developed a keenanalytical eye and a scholar’s passion forfollowing and interpreting the evidencealong with a natural skill in teaching.

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

Andrew Robertshaw

Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0HU

Tel: 01243 811609 Mobile: 07939 515896

Email: [email protected]

Charlton Sawmills

Quality Timber and Fencing etc.

Ferretteria Blacksmith & Engineer Bespoke hand forged wrought iron work

made to order 01903 830140 07733 142726

[email protected] www.ferretteria.co.uk

P. 26_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:45 Page 26

interpretation


The Poplar Cottage clothing project drawson my own documentary research on theclothing of the rural poor in 17th centurySussex, as well as the expertise of DomesticLife Interpreter, Lesley Parker, and historicclothing consultant, Barbara Painter. Thisarticle summarises some of my research andexplains how the clothing project will becompleted.

Who were the rural poor?I use the term ‘rural poor’ to describe thelarge, shifting and seemingly amorphousgroup that contemporary commentatorslabelled the ‘poorer’ or ‘meaner’ sort (to distinguish them from the ‘better’ or ‘best’sort and the ‘middle’ sort), and included husbandmen, tradesmen and craftsmen,labourers, the parish poor (those in receiptof parish relief) and vagrants. This group

expanded in the early 17th century as agrowing population began to outstrip thesupply of labour and the economy entered aperiod of long-term inflation which saw thecost of rents and consumables rising rapidlywhilst wages remained low. It has been esti-mated that whilst those on relief constitutedperhaps 5% of a parish population, a further20% (or more) may have been ‘in need’: inother words, they were living at or aroundsubsistence some or all of the time.

In Sussex the words ‘husbandman’ and‘labourer’ were frequently interchangeable,reflecting the reality that many of thosedescribed as ‘husbandmen’ had little or noland and were at least partly wage- dependent; they might also be involved insome trade or craft activity. As I havedescribed before, the earliest occupants ofPoplar Cottage were likely to have been

husbandmen, or poorer trade or craftsmen– economically independent, hardworkingand resourceful, enjoying some surplus capital when times were good, but livinghand-to-mouth when times were bad.

The amount and variety of clothingowned by the rural poorThe clothing choices of the rural poor wereconstrained by two factors: practicalities andincome. Clothing had to be made of robustmaterial to withstand wear and tear. Limitedresources also meant restricted clothingchoices and garments (often second-hand inthe first place) that had to be worn for aconsiderable number of years. The type ofwoollen cloth that appears most frequentlyin testamentary clothing bequests is russet, acoarse but relatively light cloth. Other typesof coarse woollen cloth recorded in wills,quarter session records and overseers’accounts were ‘homemade’ (this was profes-sionally woven cloth, not ‘homemade’ in thesense that we would now use the word),blanket, thickset, kersey, frieze, serge and so-called ‘cotton’ (a type of woollen clothwith a shorn nap). Linsey-woolsey (flax andwoollen mix) and fustian (a flax and cottonmix) were used for a variety of outerwear.Men’s working clothes (their doublet andbreeches) were often made of canvas orleather and sometimes cloth breeches haddetachable leather linings. Coarse linencloth like canvas, linsey and lockram, wasused for head and neckwear, smocks, shirtsand aprons, and sometimes for outerwear.

It is difficult to evaluate either the quan-tity or quality of clothing worn by the ruralpoor. Woollen outerwear was brushed downrather than being immersed in water, so intheory one set could suffice, but in practiceeven the very poor seem to have had a variety of woollen (or woollen and flax mix)garments, even if they did not amount to acomplete second set. Linen clothes (smocks,shirts, head and neckwear) were washed regularly, which means that all but the trulyindigent would have a minimum of two sets.The expectation that smocks and shirtswould be changed regularly is reflected inthe fact that they were frequently referred toas ‘changes’. Testators sometimes describedclothes in their wills as ‘work days’, ‘ordi-nary’ or ‘holidays’ indicating that they madea distinction between working clothes and‘best’. They also identified clothes by theirposition within personal clothing hierarchies(for example, ‘best’, ‘second best’, ‘best saveone’, ‘new’, ‘old’, ‘the worst’).

The hierarchical ordering of clothes inwills shows that for the rural poor clothinghad an importance beyond the purely func-tional. Clothing, even ‘ordinary’ clothing,was often brightly coloured – red, green,blue, yellow. The most popular colour forwomen’s petticoats was ‘red’, a colourachieved by dyeing the cloth with the roots

Danae Tankard writes about the museum’s latest historicclothing project

Clothing the rural poor in17th century Sussex and thePoplar Cottage project In October 2012 I was awarded a small grant from the University ofChichester’s Research Facilitation Fund for a collaborative project withthe museum’s Historic Clothing Project. The primary purpose of theproject is to produce a male and a female outfit appropriate to be wornor displayed in Poplar Cottage, an early 17th century ‘wasteland’ cottage,originally from Washington in West Sussex. As I described in the autumn2011 edition of the magazine, this building has been reinterpreted as ashoemaker’s cottage as it might have been around 1630.

Poplar Cottage, where the 17th centuryclothing can shortly be seen, worn by staffand volunteers.

▲

P. 27-29_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:46 Page 27

of the madder plant, which could produce avibrant red, but also ‘red’ shades varyingfrom dark russet to soft apricot. Womencould achieve a measure of social display bywearing fine (imported) linen head andneckwear trimmed with bone lace (lacemade on bone bobbins from linen thread).Coloured ‘ribbon’ (probably more likebraid) was used for a variety of decorative

purposes, such as trimming for petticoats,apron and shoe strings, hat bands and fastenings for neckwear. Men could alsoenhance their appearance with fine linenneckwear, decorative hatbands and colouredhandkerchiefs. An apparently trivial detaillike the colour of a waistcoat, the finenessand whiteness of a linen apron or the pat-tern of lace on a neck cloth might holdconsiderable sartorial significance both forthe wearer and for those who observed her.Moreover, a relatively old piece of clothingcould be given a new lease of life by beingre-cut, re-dyed or re-trimmed, allowing thewearer to present a ‘new’ appearance. Theclothing of the rural poor could thereforebe aspirational in the sense that they aspiredto look their best, at least when wearingtheir ‘holiday’ clothes.

Where did men and women gettheir clothing from?With the exception of fine, imported, linen,the cloth worn by the rural poor wouldhave been locally produced. Apart from afew substantial clothiers, the organisation ofwoollen and linen textile production inSussex was fragmented, with the variouscomponents of the process interlinked butconducted as separate businesses. The poorwere involved with various stages of thisprocess, both as producers and consumers.In theory, a rural woman might spin theraw materials herself, take the yarn to aweaver, collect the woven cloth to take to a fuller’s, then to a dyer’s, and finally takethe finished cloth to a tailor. But in practiceit was more likely that she would only beinvolved in some of these stages. Typically,linen or woollen yarn that she had spun athome would be sold to a clothier or anintermediary and finished cloth would bebought direct from the weaver or from amercer or (in the case of linen cloth) froma pedlar or chapman. Woollen cloth wastaken to a tailor to be made up into abespoke garment. Linen cloth might bemade up into a smock or a shirt at home

but even the relatively poor used the services of a seamstress to make up under-garments, head and neckwear. This mightseem like an unnecessary expense but itshould be borne in mind that the majorcost of any garment was the fabric; the costof making it up was comparatively low.Moreover, whilst it is reasonable to assumethat all women had at least basic sewingskills, many of them may not have beenproficient enough in cutting and sewing toproduce an entire garment.

Clothes could also be bought ready-madeor second hand. By the 17th century therewas a thriving ready-made clothing market,with production increasing significantly asthe century progressed. Late 17th centurySussex mercers’ probate inventories recordstocks of stockings, bodices and waistcoats,and occasionally other garments like shirts,‘frocks’ (labourers’ smocks), aprons, petticoatsand headwear. Records of theft prosecutionsshow that the poor frequented these shopsand bought (as well as stole) ready-madegarments, as well as woollen and linen clothand haberdashery. The second-hand clothingmarket is more difficult to discern. Theremay have been second-hand dealers in someof Sussex’s larger towns but it is more likelythat re-sale was undertaken in an informalway, perhaps sold to neighbours, friends andrelatives, or like much stolen clothing, soldto passers-by or door-to-door, thus leavinglittle trace in the records.

So where did you go to shop in 17thcentury Sussex? The county of Sussex hadapproximately 20 market towns, varyingconsiderably in size. The two largest wereChichester in the west and Lewes in theeast, with populations of about 2,500 and2,000 respectively in around 1625. Mid-sized towns with populations of up to1,000 included Arundel, Midhurst,Petworth and Horsham in the west andRye, Hastings, Battle and Brighton in theeast. Smaller, but still significant, tradingcentres included Storrington and Steyningin the west and Cuckfield in the east. Andfinally, there were a number of market‘towns’ which were little more than vil-lages, for example Westbourne and Tarringin the west and Ditchling in the east. Thewidest range of shops and tradesmen wereobviously to be found in the larger markettowns, but to some extent even the smallesttowns were centres of consumption as wellas distribution, serving a broad rural hinter-land. However, market towns were notevenly spread across Sussex. Overall,Downland areas were better served thanthose in the Weald, despite the heavier population densities towards the north ofthe county, because the appalling clayeyWealden roads hindered the movement ofgoods and people.

Cloth (usually linen), accessories (likegloves, coifs and handkerchiefs) and haber-dashery were also the stock-in-trade of theitinerant traders (both men and women)who tramped the roads of England, selling atfairs, at alehouses and door-to-door. Some

interpretation


Rural workers (woodcut, 1640).

Probate inventory of John Penfold ofStorrington, mercer, 1691 (WSRO Ep1/29/188/83).

▲

P. 27-29_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:46 Page 28

of these were employed by shopkeepers, likeHugh Mitchelson, employed by ThomasAllen, ‘chapman’, of Petworth in the late17th century, but most were independent,buying their own stock. Fairs were also goodplaces to buy shoes and ‘seamstress ware’ –linen head and neckwear, the ubiquitousbone lace and other types of haberdashery.

The Poplar Cottage clothing projectSo how can we apply this research to theconstruction of replica clothing? The documentary evidence provides a wealth of information about types of garment,colour, fabric and accessories. It allows us toget a much clearer idea of how the pooracquired their clothing and it also offers usan insight into what their clothing meant tothem. But the limitation of documentarysources is that whilst they might describethe sort of garment (‘a petticoat’), its colour(‘red’) and its fabric (‘russet’) they do nottell us anything about its construction. Inorder to translate this research into actualgarments, therefore, it needs to be usedalongside other types of evidence such aspictorial sources and surviving garments.For this I am dependent upon the expertiseof Barbara Painter who has been working asa historic costume designer for over 40years.

To give an example of how differenttypes of evidence have been collated for the

project we can consider one of the malegarments called a ‘frock’ (or sometimes a‘frock coat’ or ‘coat’). These are referred towith some frequency in the documentarysources, usually made of canvas. We knowfrom other sources that they were loose,protective, over-garments worn by workingmen (forerunners of 19th century‘smocks’). Barbara has identified a range of17th century illustrations (including drawings, paintings and woodcuts) of menwearing this type of over-garment, showinglength, cut and neck detailing.

Based on composite sources Barbara hasproduced designs for the male and femaleoutfits. The woman’s outfit will include a redwoollen petticoat with ribbon trim, a brown‘fustian’ waistcoat (with separate woollensleeves), a blue linen apron, white linensmock and coif and grass-green woollenstockings. The final details of the man’s out-fit have still to be agreed but it is likely thathe will have a ‘canvas’ frock and breeches, a‘fustian’ doublet, a white linen shirt (withseparate collar), black hat and ‘mingled’woollen stockings. Barbara and DomesticLife Interpreter, Lesley Parker, have also hadto translate 17th century fabric-types such asrusset and fustian into affordable modernequivalents. For example, the male doubletand female waistcoat will be made out of awool cloth which approximates the appear-ance, feel and weight of fustian, the female

petticoats will be made out of a lighter-weight wool cloth and the male canvas frockand breeches will be made from a heavylinen cloth. Lesley will be hand-dyeing fab-rics at the museum using a range of naturaldyes, including madder to achieve a ‘red’ for the over-petticoat and onion skins for a brown under-petticoat. The clothes arebeing made by the Needlework Group,under Lesley and Barbara’s supervision, withshoes commissioned from historic shoemaker, Sarah Juniper.

The clothing will be ready in time to bedisplayed in an exhibition about the projectto be held in the hall from Crawley on 20-26 May 2013. This will describe andillustrate the evidence that has underpinnedthe construction of the replica clothing andlook at how the clothing has been made, aswell as exploring the clothing culture of therural poor in 17th century Sussex. Barbara,Lesley and I are also running a one-daycourse on 17th century rural clothing,drawing on the Poplar Cottage clothingproject, on 17 June 2013, details of whichare given in the course listings in this magazine, on our website, or by ringing themuseum on 01243 811464.

interpretation

Barbara Painter’s design for the female outfit (left) and the male outfit (right), c. 1630.

I would like to thank the University ofChichester for its generous financial support for this project.


P. 27-29_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:46 Page 29


We’re looking forward to meeting our members at themuseum during the year! And thank you all for your support.

Watts Gallery and Chapel, Compton,Surrey – Thursday 9 MayWatts Gallery was featured in the BBC pro-gramme, Restoration. After a two and a halfyear project the gallery re-opened in 2011.The only purpose-built gallery in the UKdedicated to one artist, the collection ofworks by eminent Victorian artist, G F Wattsis beautifully shown here. Nearby is the Wattschapel, designed by Mary Watts, and an Arts& Crafts masterpiece. On arrival we will beserved coffee and biscuits. During the day wewill be taken in small groups on a guidedtour of the gallery and chapel and will alsohave free time to wander. Lunch is includedin the ticket price, as are morning refresh-ments, and will consist of sandwiches, fruitplatter, crisps, cakes and drinks.Price £35 includes morning coffee, lunchand drivers gratuity. Coach leaves museumat 09.45am and returns at 17.00pm approx.

Shulbrede Priory, Linchmere, WestSussex – Monday 17 June The Priory was founded in c.1190 forcanons following the rule of St Augustine.After the dissolution of the monasteries byHenry VIII, the remaining buildings becamea farmhouse and the manor for the district.

Yeoman tenants of the Cowdray Estate livedhere until the end of the 19th century whenArthur and Dorothea Ponsonby rented thebuilding. Their family continues to live here.Dorothy was the daughter of composer SirHubert Parry, who spent much time atShulbrede. The piano he used is still there. Wewill have a guided tour by the family and achance to see the beautiful gardens. Theticket price includes tea and cake. Numbersare limited. We will travel in our own cars:anyone requiring a lift from the museumshould indicate this on the application form.Price £8. Please meet there at 2.15pm.

Newtimbers Place, Newtimber, West Sussex and Danny House,Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex –Thursday 4 JulyNewtimber Place is a Sussex moated house,built of brick and flint with a roof ofHorsham stone. The original house was prob-ably built c.1567 by Richard Bellingham’sson who was sheriff of Sussex. A special feature are the 18th century Etruscan-style wallpaintings in the hall. The moat is fed by natural springs. We will have a guided tour withmorning refreshments included. In the after-noon we move on to Danny House wherewe will start our visit with a buffet lunchwhich is included in the ticket price. DannyHouse in its present form dates from 1586. Itwas built by George Goring who held thelucrative post of ward courts under ElizabethI. After four generations of Gorings, Dannywas sold to Peter Courthorpe in1650. In1707, Barbara Courthorpe married HenryCampion, and in 1728 they made Dannytheir home and the house was subject tomajor alterations. Several generations ofCampions followed. The house has many historical links, including one dating to 1918when it was rented for three months by LloydGeorge. We will receive a guided tour of thehouse and have time to view the gardens.Price £29 includes morning coffee, lunchand drivers gratuity. Coach leaves museumat 08.30am and returns at 18.00pm approx.

Day trips

friends’ news

Dinner with Gregg WallaceSaturday 7th September

This special event is a major fundraiser for ourmuseum. We are celebrating the museum’s achievements and raising fundsto support the next exciting phase of the museum’s development. This is a black tie event and the evening will be all about food. Our guest speakeris food guru and MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace. We are offering our guests anexciting and imaginative menu inspired by the museum’s links to our heritagethrough food. The dinner is being held in the stunning Jerwood Space of the award-winningDownland Gridshell and promises to be a memorable evening. You will be treatedto a Champagne reception, three-course dinner with wineplus cheese and coffee. Entertainment is also provided andyou will have the opportunity to bid for some great prizes. We

invite you to attend the dinner and support this worthwhile cause.

Tickets are £80 per person and guests will be seated at tables of ten, so please bring yourfriends and make up a party. For further information, and an application form, contactKatie Jardine at the Museum on 01243 811010 or email [email protected]

THE FRIENDS is a support organisationfor the museum, which runs fund-raising events and social activities forits members. It is one of the largestmuseum Friends groups in the country,with some 4,800 membershipsrepresenting about 10,500 individualmembers. Since its inception it hasraised a total of £2.3 million for themuseum, making a major contributionto the museum’s work.

How the Friends helpthe museum

P. 30-31_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:47 Page 30

A Murder Mystery performed by theFuntington Players – Secrets andSwords – 6 April Guests will meet in the market square for aglass of wine and canapés. The play will beperformed in and around the area including,of course, the murder! We will then proceedto the Downland Gridshell building for adelicious meal of museum-bred rare-breedpork with new potatoes and various saladsfollowed by dessert and coffee. During supper each table will have the chance to tryto work out who the murderer is: the castwill be there to engage with. There will be a raffle during the evening. This will be anevening full of fun and intrigue, whilst raising money to support the museum. So docome and join us: all most welcome.Tickets £25 to include a glass of wine onarrival and supper. Wine will also beavailable to purchase. Time – 19.00pm for 19.30pm. If wet we will meet in theDownland Gridshell building.Tickets can be purchased on line at –www.ticketsource.co.uk/friendswdmuseum/or by telephoning 01243 811726. If youhave special dietary requirements pleasephone 01243 811726

Barn Dance with Sally Wilton andthe Odd Bodds – 8 JuneFollowing the great success of the past twoyears, we are delighted to welcome Sally andher band back for another wonderfulevening of music and dancing. The eveningwill take place in the Downland Gridshellbuilding, starting at 18.30pm. Please bringyour picnic supper and drinks. Small foldingchairs may be useful too. We will have a supper break during the evening and,weather permitting , we can take this outside.There will be a raffle.Tickets available from the museum shop – 01243 811020. Adults £10, Family(two adults and two children) £25,Children £5

Dinner with Gregg Wallace – foodguru and co-host of MasterChef – 7 SeptemberLast year Gregg Wallace came to the museumto do some filming. After making butter theTudor way with Lesley Parker, he becamemost enthusiastic and offered to come andhelp raise funds for the continuing develop-ment of our museum. We will start this veryspecial evening at 19.30pm with a champagnereception, then a wonderful three-course dinner with wine, cheese and coffee, pre-pared and served by a top caterer. Gregg willgive an after dinner speech which I am surewill be most interesting and amusing. You arewarmly invited to attend this excitingevening. Whether or not you are able to joinus for the dinner, we would very muchappreciate your help as Friends of theMuseum by contributing prizes or donationsto support our fundraising activities on thenight. All contributions will be gratefullyreceived, from the unusual or valuable, whichwill be auctioned by Gregg, to other gifts,vouchers or products from your local con-tacts. All donations will be acknowledged on

the night. If you can help us in this way,please contact Sarah Casdagli on 01243811726 or email [email protected] you for your support. Tickets £80 per person: guests will beseated at tables of 10, so please bringyour friends and family. Details for ticketapplications are on page 30.

Friends AGM – 13 April in theDownland Gridshell We very much look forward to welcomingyou to our AGM, starting at 14.30pm.Following a brief business meeting we willreceive an update on the museum’s activities.We are then delighted to welcome one ofour honorary members, Barbara Painter,who will give an illustrated talk on themuseum’s unique Historic Clothing Project,which has been funded by the Friends.Barbara, who has 40 years’ backgroundexperience in historic costume in theatre,film, television and museums, has worked asa consultant, project manager and tutor tothe project since its inception in 2007.Following the talk we will serve tea, coffeeand delicious homemade cakes.

friends’ news


Fund-raising events

Friends AGMNotice is hereby given that the Annual GeneralMeeting of the Friends of the Weald andDownland Open Air Museum will be held at2.30pm on 13 April 2013 in the DownlandGridshell at the Museum, Singleton, Chichester.

Agenda1. Apologies for Absence2. Minutes of the 43rd 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 December 20128. Re-appointment of Neville Lacey of Jones

Avens as Independent Examiner9. Appointment of Officers and election of

Committee Members

Note: Nominations for officers and committeemembers should be made in writing and accom-panied by the signed approval of the nominee toreach the Hon. Secretary, Friends of the Wealdand Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton,Chichester, PO18 0AW by 25 March 2013.

Gift Aid: We now show the gift aid status of eachmember on their membership renewal docu-ment. If a gift aid box appears on your renewaland you can help in this way, please compete theform and return it to the Friends office. Nearly70% of members have signed up for Gift Aid andif we can increase this figure we will be able, fromthe 20% tax refund from the government, to helpthe museum with further grants.

Direct Debit: Around 40% of subscriptions arenow paid by Direct Debit and this helps us avoidever-ncreasing postage costs and much adminis-trative effort. We give the opportunity for members to pay by direct debit on membershiprenewal forms, so please consider making thischange in payment method where possible.

Online Banking Payment: In 2012 we introduced the facility for online payment andmembers are increasingly taking up this option.Details are on the membership renewal form.Please remember, though, to give your member-ship number as a reference with your payment.Without this we can have difficulty tracing whichmember has made the payment.

A BOOKING FORM for the trips andevents is included with this magazine.Closing date is 31 March. In the eventof a cancellation, no refund will bemade unless the ticket can be re-sold.Booking forms should be sent to: Mrs Sarah Casdagli, Little Yarne,Singleton, Chichester, West SussexPO18 0HA, not to the museum. Pleaseenclose a stamped addressed envelopefor the return of your tickets.

How to book

IN THE past, we have sent a shortenedform of the Friends annual accounts toeach member with the spring magazine.This year we will instead be posting theaccounts onto the museum website infull to the same timescale. This will, ofcourse, save a significant sum in printand distribution costs which we judgecan be better used for other purposeswithin the museum. The link to theaccounts is: http://www.wealddown.co.uk/images/pdfs/Friends/Friends Accounts2012.pdf. The Friends’ AGM notice isopposite.If you do not have access to theinternet and wish to see the accounts,they will be available at the AGM on 13April or are obtainable from the Friendsoffice on 01243 811893.

Friends Accounts 2012

Former Friends’ chairman Jean Piggottbuying a tile for Tindalls Cottage duringthe Raising the frame weekend last year.The Friends’ fund-raising scheme made atotal of nearly £3,500, covering most of thecost of pegs and tiles for the project.

P. 30-31_P. 3- 25/02/2013 09:16 Page 31


The Spread Eagle Hotel & Spa, Midhurst, dates in parts to1430AD and has been welcoming guests ever since. Still in evidence aretraditional bread ovens, antique stained-glass windows, inglenook fireplacesand a restored panel of wattle and daub.

The hotel has 38 individually-decorated bedrooms, some with antiques, as well as�� -panelled private diningrooms or a lighter menu served in the historic Lounge Bar. The Jacobean Hall,dating from 1650, is a perfect venue for weddings and larger parties.The Aquila Spa, comprising indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub andfully-equipped gym, is available to all hotel residents as well as offering an annualmembership.

Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa * Ockenden Manor * The Spread Eagle Hotel & Spa

South Street MidhurstWest Sussex GU29 9NH

01730 [email protected]

www.hshotels.co.uk

Hard

wood

Flo

orin

g

Selham, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0PJ

t: 01798 861611 f: 01798 861633

[email protected]

Sawmillers

Timber Merch

ants

Fencing Contrac

tors

Constru

ctional

Tim

bers

Bar T

ops &

Work

tops

Mach

ined

Pro

files fo

r

Join

ery

Fencin

g &

Gate

s

Deck

ing

Clad

din

g

Retail S

hop

for T

imber,

mach

inery, T

ools

and fin

ishes

Timber is in our blood - Call us Timber is in our blood - Call us

West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QZ

A programme of courses on the repair and maintenance of historic structures

validated by English Heritage which include:

CONSERVATION AND REPAIR OF MASONRY RUINS

MANAGING WILDLIFE ON HISTORIC MONUMENTS

THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS

CONSERVATION OF CONCRETE

For more information email: [email protected] or go to www.westdean.org.uk/bcm

BUILDING CONSERVATION MASTERCLASSES


During January the shop had a partial re-fit which will enable the museum tostock an even greater range of gifts andprovide visitors with faster and easierentry to the museum site.

Unlike most high street shops thatfocus on the run-up to Christmas as theirpeak sales period, at the museum Augustis the month when we expect most visitors. The shop ‘year’ starts in lateSeptember/early October in preparationfor the new season that runs from earlyMarch to late October.

Sales of the various product types areexamined and a buying strategy formed forthe new year. In the first week of January afull stock-take is carried out and wereceive a visit from the museum’s auditorsbefore new stock is bought. In February

we go to Spring Fair, the largest giftwaretrade exhibition held at the BirminghamNEC, to look at the new ranges on offerand buy for the coming season. We spenda couple of days at this event among the65,000+ visitors, where we cover 20 mileswalking around over 3,000 trade stands, allcompeting for our custom. We selectranges of gifts that we think our customerswill want to buy as mementos of theirvisit, or as presents for special occasions –but the focus has always been on offeringgifts of good quality and value that haverelevance to the museum’s themes.

During late February and early Marchmost of the new products are deliveredand set out on display for visitors to pur-chase. During the rest of the year sales aremonitored and bestselling lines reordered,

with most newsupplies arrivingin late June beforeour peak selling months.

However, we don’t just buy from largegift fairs: in recent years we have alsofocused on local crafts. We are oftenapproached by local craftspeople, such aspotters, card makers and glass blowers,keen to sell their wares in the shop, and ifwe feel they fit into our themes, wearrange a meeting to view the items. Ifthey meet our criteria of good quality andreasonable price we will go ahead withthe purchase. Our secondary aim is to helplocal craftspeople find a market for theirproducts beyond a stand at craft fairs, andprovide our customers with quality hand-made individual gifts that they are unlikelyto find on the high street.

Books form a major part of our retailoffer. We stock a large selection of bookson timber framing, building preservationand social history, as well as local history,cooking, and gardening and historybooks for children. Built up to serve notjust visitors, but for those attending ourcourses and for mail order delivery toanyone interested in our themes, thebookshop section has achieved an excellent reputation.

So when you next visit the museumshop have a good look round, as we’resure you will find a suitable gift for afriend or member of your family.Remember, if you’re a Friend of themuseum, to present your membershipcard at the till for your 10% discount!

Paul MaxtedShop Manager

support services


How the gift shop helps the museum’s workThe museum shop (and its online counterpart) is an important element in themuseum’s income. It is run by the museum’s trading company, Singleton MuseumServices, with profits from visitors’ purchases and other trading activities beingused to help the work of the museum.

The interior of the museum shop after its winter re-fit.

£1.97 – the average amount each visitor spends

in the shop

P. 33_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:48 Page 33

The natural beauty of...

HORSHAM STONE

Horsham Stone and Reclamation is one of the leading suppliers of natural stone in the

South-East. Horsham Stone can add some individual style to any project; architects,

builders and garden landscapers love our stone for its blend of colour, strength and

texture. There are hundreds of historic churches and medieval buildings across Sussex,

Surrey and Kent that are roofed or built with Horsham Stone.

We also specialise in reclamation products and match up old recyclable materials

for restoration building projects and extensions so that new sections added to old

buildings are in keeping with the original. We always keep a large stock of reclaimed

bricks, roofi ng tiles and reclaimed York stone paving for immediate delivery and

sell all sorts of reclaimed garden antiques, everything from stone troughs, to statues,

to sun dials.

For more information on our products please contact us at:

Tel: 01403 276550www.horshamstone.co.ukHorsham Stone & Reclamation Ltd, Lower Broadbridge Farm, Broadbridge Heath, West Sussex RH12 3LR


Discover more about themuseum’s work – bybecoming a volunteerThe museum couldn’t function without the help of its team ofdedicated volunteers – and each year they are offered a widerange of training courses to help them interpret the historicbuildings and rural life artefacts for visitors.

In-depth information about the individual buildings, from the 13th century recon-structed cottage from Hangleton to the 19th century Whittaker’s Cottages, is provided by professional museum staff.

Other sessions range widely across such subjects as the Tudor calendar, thatching, the Historic Clothing Project, an intro duction to dairying, the mill andits place in the village, and the seasonality of food. Volunteers can learn aboutscything, using a tinder box, Tudor baking and brewing, natural dyeing, the production of wood in the Tudor countryside and the museum’s period gardens.They discover how timber framed buildings are created and erected, how themuseum goes about relocating buildings, and how the collections are curated.

There are also sessions on running the museum site, including training for allthose who work in the shop and ticket office, and safety and disability awareness,as well as instruction on delivering school workshops, and for the cooks who workin Winkhurst Tudor kitchen, a special session on handling food.

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

interpretation


DYSON KING(Architectural Ironmongers) Ltd

The experts with over 25 years experience in supplying fittings for all doors, windows, gates, locks and safes

Comprehensive stocks of olde worlde, black antique, polished brass, china, crystal cut perspex, real

bronze and satin aluminium

Full scheduling service to architects, builders and the general public

Tel: 01243 776739 Fax: 01243 532419Unit 5, Chichester Trade Centre, Quarry Lane,

Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8ET

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

IN BRIEFMAINTAINING OUR BUILDINGS ANDSITEAs age and the recent exceptionally wetyear takes its toll on the historic buildingsand museum site, we are increasinglyattending to repair and maintenance.Keeping the thatched roofs in fine fettle isan important task, and an annualprogramme is in place. This year HambrookBarn will be re-thatched by Chris Tomkinsin March/April, at a cost of £30,000 fundedby Arts Council England for museumswhose collections have been Designated asof national importance. The roof of thehouse from Walderton will follow in theautumn. In the winter, the museum tackledmuch-needed repairs to the Goose hut,including a new coat of thatch.Maintenance work is carried by staff andvolunteers, including the curatorial teamled by Julian Bell whose responsibilityincludes the exhibit buildings, the‘Tuesday’and ‘Wednesday Gangs’, andspecialist contractors.

A SUCCESSFUL YEAR – DESPITE THEWEATHERThe museum’s visitor admissions for 2012 werejust over 127,500, a drop of 8% compared with2011, but almost identical to 2010. 2012 hasbeen officially confirmed as the wettest year onrecord in England and this had a significantimpact, while the Olympics and Jubileecelebrations also had a negative effect. Around44% of our visitors attend special event andfamily activity days, which demonstrates howimportant these occasions are. Fortunately, wedid not have to make any event cancellations, asmany did, and we were lucky that the overflowcar park survived the record attendance of 8,000people on the Sunday of the Christmas Market:our plan to exit cars via West Dean made aconsiderable operational improvement for thisevent. Although the museum’s core numberswere down, they contributed to a higher overallpercentage of the total, and we shall aim to buildon this in 2013.

Lesley Parker, the museum’sDomestic Interpreter, leads

some of the volunteertraining sessions. Here, she

is wearing clothing of theperiod while working on a

replica Tudor mattress.

P. 35_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:50 Page 35


Oak Framed Building Specialists

Craftsmanship that speaks for itself

For further information, please do not hesitate to call:

Our ServicesHaving successfully completed both large and small projects, Ayling & Rayner have developed a wealth of experience in all aspects of historic, re-build and conversion building work.

· Green Oak Frames

· Total renovation of historic timber-framed buildings

· Restoration and repair of oak-framed buildings

· Barn conversions and refurbishments

· Comprehensive on-site project management

Holiday LetRural France

Spacious detached 3 bedroom property in largesecluded garden with spa pool

www.marjoramfrance.co.ukor Contact Richard & Tricia Angus 01243 552603

ConservoBuilding Conservation Consultants

David Langdon MSc MCIOBThe Coach House

14 Barfield, Ryde PO33 2JP

T 01983613040E [email protected]

www.conservo.org.uk

Keymer tiles havetopped the history ofarchitecture since the1500’s, there is morehistory in Keymer thanany other tile maker.

Everyone of our tiles ismade using traditionalskills, perfected over our400 year history.Genuinely hand madeusing Walden clay, eachone offers individualvariations in colour andtexture to produce aroof that is totallyunique.

History in your hands


Last year a Tamworth sow and her piglets occupied the Pendean pig sty, and aSaddleback sow and her Tamworth X piglets rooted among trees adjoining GonvilleCottage. This enabled us to rest the Bayleaf paddock which will return to use thisyear. The pigs are owned by Neal Careswell whose company, Forest Hogs, providesthe hog roasts on event days. The flock of Southdown sheep, owned by theHumphrey family who farm at East Dean, provide a great attraction for visitors inearly spring at the lambing fold. The sheep will be folded around the site during theyear, including Bayleaf paddocks.

The museum’s working horses, under horseman Mark Buxton, (pictured duringlast year’s harvest) play an important part in maintaining the site and carrying outfarming tasks such as preparing the arable fields for crops, haymaking and harvesting.The ‘Harvest Ale’ On the Hop was again brewed with museum-grown hops byBallards Brewery at Rogate. This year we will introduce a hop garden at TindallsCottage, which was originally associated with the growing of hops.

farming


Preparing for the 2013harvest

Despite the wet conditions we were able to sow the triticale wheat seed for this year’s crop of thatching straw after the AutumnCountryside Show. A crop of barley for winter feed and bedding willalso be sown again, and the remaining acres put down to grass forhaymaking. Following a poor harvest of the important local variety of Chidham wheat due to the weather, seed sourced from John andBarbara Marshall and grown in a trial plot by Jonathan Fulford ofBartholomews of Chichester should enable us to replenish our stock.

Telephone: 01243 865771www.eachiverton.co.uk

Main contractor for the Downland Gridshell

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

IN BRIEFEXHIBIT CONSERVATIONThe Collectionsteam has replacedthe externalweatherboardingof WatersfieldStable with newelm, and althoughit may currentlylook a little brightand shiny, the timber will soon age anddiscolour to that of the neighbouringbuildings. Whilst the boarding was beingreplaced, the hand water pump and stonetrough were removed from the west end ofthe building to prevent rainwater causingdegradation of the adjacent timbers. Thepump will be given a new site elsewhere.Minor repairs are needed to two of our livingvans. The Contractor’s Van located in theWoodyard was recently given new exteriorcladding and a new canvas roof and now thatit is weathertight, we are giving someattention to the interior paintwork andfittings. The Shepherds Hut adjacent to thesheep fold is in need of a new coat ofexternal paint, with the last major repairshaving been carried out in 2003.

P. 37_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:51 Page 37


A ‘Rare’ OpportunityTo Support Our Biggest

Show Of The Year!What to buy that special person who

has everything as a treat? Why notsponsor a class at our Rare &

Traditional Breeds Show which takesplace on Sunday 21st July 2013?

The Museum has supported stockmen across thesouth east since the show started 27 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 21st July 2013

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

✂

“Sussex Gardens 2013”


Welcome to Carole Richmond

The museum welcomes CaroleRichmond as CommunicationsManager, with a remit to spread theword about our work as widely aspossible.Carole is a highly experienced creativegeneralist with over 30 years communicationsand management experience in a variety ofcultural and media organisations. Immediatelyprior to joining the museum she worked as aheritage communications consultant for anumber of organisations including theMethodist Church, theNational Trust, HymnsAncient & Modern, StPaul’s Cathedral andthe Prayer BookSociety. Before thatshe worked forcompanies such asJohn Wiley, Microsoft,HarperCollins and theGuardian newspaper in an assortment of editorial, publishing, creative and senior management roles.Since arrival at the museum she has carriedout an in-depth marketing review, briefingpriorities for 2013, and with a view toachieving as much value as possible from the marketing budget.“My work involves telling the museum’sunique stories to as many people as possiblein a way that entices them to visit and enjoythe unique magic of this very special place,”she says. “Stories can be told in many ways,including through print, photographs, TV,radio, multimedia and social media. I will be

exploring and exploiting as manycommunications channels as I can. My firstpriority is to introduce the museum toinfluential journalists and bloggers so that wecan increase the amount of free editorialcoverage we get”.

New volunteer teams

Last year the museum developed anumber of new volunteer teams,particularly focused on working outdoorson the historic buildings or around thesite. A new team began training with JonRoberts, learning working historicalcoppicing methods, and three chaps cametogether to become the ‘Thursday Doers’.Murray James, Gerry Dowsett and TimMagilton (pictured) take on a wide rangeof jobs around the site and involvingfarming tasks with great gusto. Many ofour regular visitors have commented onthe improvements. Not even the snow canstop them! Meanwhile, the ‘Tuesday’ and‘Wednesday gangs’ worked extremely hardwith paint, tar and wood, conservingexhibit buildings. (The ‘Tuesday gang’ is 20 years old this year)

David KempWe are sad to report the death ofDavid Kemp, a volunteer from theearly days of the museum. Museum Director Richard Pailthorpe writes: “Ifirst had the pleasure of knowing David whenI started working for the museum in 1979.David started volunteering during the mid-1970s following his retirement as senior ratingofficer for Chichester City Council and thenChichester District Council. His professionalexperience was invaluable when it came tofigures and he was an excellent steward frontof house, manning the ticket kiosk. “David alwaysvolunteered on aTuesday and hewas instrumentalin founding the‘Tuesday Gang’who undertooka variety ofrepair andmaintenance tasksduring the wintermonths, including there-location of the Beeding Toll House and the construction of the building’s pig sty, privy and garden fence. The latter was so well built that we have only recently had toreplace it!”David, who also worked in the museum shopand library, made firm friends with Guy Viney,who in 2001 was assistant to Warden Bob

Easson. Guy, who is now CuratorialAssistant/Gridshell Manager, said he came todiscover just how much time David had givento the museum. “Apparently, he had visitedthe museum for the first time on his first dayof retirement and liked it so much that hebecame a volunteer straight away, andcontinued volunteeringfor 25 years.”Guy visited him athome after hisvolunteeringcame to a closewhen he decidedhe “ought to”stop driving, andtheir conversationsroamed across manysubjects. “He was alwaysbright, fresh and enthusiastic abouteverything, and although very happy to teachwas noticeably happier learning, and alwayswanted news of the museum. Some peoplemake lasting impressions and David was oneof those. I miss our Saturday meetings andthe hilarious chats.”

people

Carole Richmond

Second retirement for RogerRoger Champion, the museum’s formerMaster Carpenter, retired for a secondtime as a member of the museum staffat the end of November. However, hisinvaluable expertise and knowledgewill not be lost as he has become avolunteer. He will continue to producefurnishings for the museum’s historicbuildings such as Tindalls Cottagewhich he is currently working on. Hehas also, with Guy Viney, recently re-modelled the museum shop counteras part of a shop refurbishment. Youcan read more about Roger, who iscurrently Sussex Heritage Person of theYear, in Building History, the story ofthe museum’s first 40 years, on sale atthe museum shop.

Donald

The museum is sad to report the deathof Donald, a Shire gelding who workedat the museum for a number of years,alongside Shires Neville and Jim.Owned by former Museum DirectorChris Zeuner and his wife, Diana, hewas latterly owned by Penny Wort, whoused to return him to see his oldfriends at the museum for the annualHeavy Horse Spectacular in June. SadlyDonald went down in his field aftergetting a foot wedged, and after hishealth deteriorated he was finallyfound dead one morning. MilnerfieldDonald was by Bonynnog Black Knightout of Milnerfield Princess. He was 18-years-old. Donald is pictured, right, withfellow Shire, Jim, and Chris Zeuner atthe Harvesting the Old-Fashioned Wayevent at Heyshott in 2000.

Goodbye RebeccaThe museum is sad to lose RebeccaOsborne, the museum’s AdultEducation Officer, who is leaving afternearly 10 years to pursue otherchallenges. Rebecca has played animportant role in developing themuseum’s award-winning lifelonglearning service, and has, says Head ofLearning, Diana Rowsell, made “anamazing contribution” to the wholemuseum as well as to the learningdepartment.


115– new

volunteers joined us in 2012

20 years ago

– Museum founder Dr Roy Armstrong

died, aged 91 (1993)

1001 – people attended

wedding ceremonies

at the museum last year

P. 39_P. 3- 25/02/2013 09:16 Page 39


HOUSE HISTORY RESEARCH

Every house has a story.

Commission your House History from an experienced professional historian, based in West Sussex.

Dr Ian Friel MA, PhD, FSA078151 99679mail@ianfriel.co.ukwww.ianfriel.co.ukwww.househistorytoday.co.uk

The Lime CentreLong Barn, Hazeley Road, Morestead, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1LZ

The Lime Centre at Winchester was opened in 1990 to provide information and training on theuse of lime in historic building conservation.

We advise on suitable products, specifications and applications,and we supply and deliver lime putty, St Astier natural hydrauliclime, ready mixed mortars, plasters and renders, aggregates, andlimewash throughout south-east England

Tel: 01962 713636 Fax: 01962 [email protected] www.thelimecentre.co.uk

WOODWORM?WOODWORM?Ecological Insect Pest Eradication

Don’t waste your time with ineffective, noxious chemicals.

We guarantee a 100% chemical free kill of all insect pests,including woodworm, moth and carpet beetle.

For free advice on insect pest eradication call:Tel: 020 8964 3964 Fax: 020 8964 2969

E-mail: [email protected]

Thermo Lignum®

Jane Jones-Warner RIBA SCA AABC IHBC

We are your property experts

We understand the past.

We see the future.

smithsgore.co.uk

Our RIBA Chartered Architects and

RICS Chartered Building Surveyors have

been innovating for over 160 years.

Petworth Office01798 342642Terry Adsett FRICS

Bespoke New Build

Refurbishments, Alterations & Extensions

Masterplanning & Urban Design

Conservation & Major Restoration

SPECIALISING IN REPAIR AND RENEWAL OF PLASTERWORK TO:HISTORIC BUILDINGS

CHURCHES

LISTED 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:

BISHOP’S PALACE, CHICHESTER

GOODWOOD HOUSE, CHICHESTER

HAMBLEDON CHURCH, HAMPSHIRE

ST PETER’S CHURCH, TITCHFIELD

THE MERCHANT’S HOUSE, MARLBOROUGH

and many listed buildings throughout

the South of England

18 THE LEYS, SINGLETONCHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX

TEL: 01243 811863 MOB: 07775 981985

HISTORIC PLASTERWORK

BISHOP’S PALACE, CHICHESTERGOODWOOD HOUSE, CHICHESTER

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

WHITTAKER’S COTTAGESWEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM

and many listed buildings throughout the South of England


With the promise of warmerweather and lighter days roundthe corner, our ancestors wholived and worked in thebuildings re-erected at themuseum must have felt a springin their step. It can be fairlygloomy during winter in thehistoric buildings, but it iscertainly not artificial. Thebuildings are interpreted asthey would have been in formercenturies, ensuring authenticityin the way we present the past.

These experiences are especially interest-ing for school children. School groupscame to the museum even before theofficial opening and we regularly meetpeople who remember their visit vividly.Notable among them is TV presenter andchief curator at the Historic RoyalPalaces, Lucy Worsley, who credited ourmuseum in a recent Radio 4 interviewwith awakening her interest in history.

At a time when the Secretary of Statefor Education has voiced concerns aboutthe lack of a connected narrative in his-tory teaching, we continue to try to shownot only these links but also the relation-ship between many subjects. Themuseum’s formal schools sessions closely

reflect the demands of the NationalCurriculum, but as changes to this aremade we look forward to working withteachers and developing our programme.

Informal elements of a structured visitprovide many memorable moments.Judging from school feedback letters, ourmillers are a star attraction in their ownright! The simplicity of seeing how flouris produced – a staple we take for granted– can be great fun. We like to encouragegroups to make time in their day forthese sorts of activities; the market squarearea offers lots to see, the fields andwoods are integral to understanding oursite and heritage, and seeing livestock atclose quarters is something that people ofall ages enjoy.

Young learners may get wet, may getcold, may go away with more questionsthan answers, but may have their interestsparked by a space, interaction or idea ina way we might never know, and that isour hope.

Lucy HockleySchools Services & Project Manager

schools services


Learning in a different light

Teachers are invited for a free visit toexplore the museum and see what wecan offer your school. Come and chat tous in the Building Crafts Gallery wheretea, coffee and cake will be provided.There will also be time to explore thesite, see workshops laid out or try a trail.Please contact us on 01243 811459 or byemail [email protected] aminimum of a week before each date toclaim your free tickets.

Teacher Preview Days: Saturday 9 March andSunday 30 June

School pupils havea go at thatching!This spring, thanks to funding from Arts Council England, the museum will be re-thatching Hambrook barn,near the museum entrance. From 18March-26 April pupils can watch thethatcher at work, hear talks, see anexhibition, print a trail at school to do on-site (available on the websitewww.wealddown.co.uk from earlyMarch) and have a go at thatching on amodel roof. Pre-booking is essential forthis free session, as well as for yourvisit. The wheat has been grown on the museum site and locally and was threshed here at our AutumnCountryside Show. Activities relate toscience, sustainability, historic homesand skills. In the autumn similaropportunities will be available whenthe house from Walderton is re-thatched.

Robert E Rodrigues

Reliable Effective Research

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

P. 41_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:52 Page 41


Country Pub & Restaurant01243 533993

www.theearlofmarch.com

Seasonal Set Menu 2 course £18.50 3 course £21.50

Available at lunch from 12 to 2.30 pm

Early Birds/Pre Theatre from 5.30 pm to 7 pm

Enjoy a 125ml glass of House Wine for just £3!

Delicious Fresh Food, Ales & Wine Served

Mon to Thur 12-2pm & 6-9pmFri 12-2pm & 6-9.30pm

Sat 12-3pm & 6pm-9.30pmSun 12-3pm & 6-9pm

HANTS & SUSSEXTRADITIONAL RESTORATION

BUILDING~CONSERVATION~REPAIRCaring for our Historic Buildings & Structures

Craft & Professional Services

Ray Moseley DipBldgCons(RICS)Tel: 02392 470589/07909 522722

Email: [email protected]

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


Much of the museum site is covered bywoodland, including coppice, clumps,shaws (woodland field boundaries) andstandard trees. Trees and their productshave been the subject of displays and trailsin the past, but not recently. Now we plana programme of talks, interpretation,demonstrations and guided walks toinvolve visitors in our approach to thewoodland and its activities and products.

The museum has a woodland manage-ment plan with five specific aims: • To demonstrate the use of tradi-

tional tools and techniques as theywould have been used by the occupantsof many of the exhibit buildings beforethe 1700s. Partly practical woodlandmanagement and partly historicalresearch, the aim is to demonstrate thesignificant time and resources requiredto produce such products as firewoodand fencing materials

• To provide for the needs of the siteincluding firewood of the correctdimensions, species and age for use inour buildings (in which we aim to beself-sufficient), fencing materials for useon the site, and materials for courses andother demonstrations

• To demonstrate how such woodlandmanagement affects the landscapeincluding the effect on flora and fauna;the long term future for the wood, pathsand trackways, and erosion, throughinterpretation

• To use woodland for habitat andecological education. Mixed wood-lands are a haven for a host of plants andanimals which co-exist alongside thelow-impact activities we carry out, providing the opportunity to build onexisting educational activities such as batand fungi walks

• To provide enjoyment for visitorsand demonstrate sustainable man-agement, ensuring a pleasant place tobe and showing how our managementactivities maintain the woodlands and itshabitats for future generations.Research into the use of woodland in

the past, and the production of firewoodand other underwood products for themuseum, has been undertaken recently byJon Roberts. The exercise has been valuable, demonstrating how much effortand forethought was required to manageareas of coppice and produce subsistence

materials such as firewood. Planning wasrequired at least a year in advance for thequantities and dimensions of crop to beharvested, whether for firewood, brush-wood for faggots, or thinner material suchas hazel rods for fencing. All heat andcooking would have been depend-ent on the products of the cop-pice, and great care wouldhave been taken over theuse of each piece of timberto ensure precious sup-plies were maintained.

At the museum weneed to do the same,planning ahead for thecoming year’s require-ments before the coppice isharvested and using the prod-ucts with care so that they lastuntil the following year’s material iscut. Staff and volunteers involved in theproduction or use of the coppice products

need to maintain an awareness of theimplications of how these materials areused.

To achieve our objectives we are creat-ing a focus area for the woodlands andcoppice at the site of the former Woodland

Exhibition uphill from TindallsCottage. This dedicated space

will enable us to displayinformation and interpreta-tion about our approach towoodland management,the methods we employ,the products which thewoodland provides, andtheir history and ecology.

In parallel, during thespring of each year and

beginning in 2013, theCollections team will spend

time ‘refitting’ the charcoal burners’camp. Displaying the constructionalsequences of a charcoal clamp (kiln) in thisarea has always involved a battle withnature, as it quickly re-establishes itselfwithin the display. Historically, charcoalburners’ camps were never intended to bepermanent as the workers would havemoved frequently through the wood totake advantage of fresh supplies. To main-tain a historically accurate and high standard display we will rebuild the clampsequence displays and the shelter, andcarry out other work to the area toimprove it for our charcoal burningdemonstrations.

Woodsman Jon Roberts is training agroup of volunteers to help interpret andmanage woodland tasks which will assistus in sustaining the seasonal requirementswhich the museum makes on the wood-lands. Volunteer involvement will beincreased in other ways, such as creatingguided walks focusing on the variedaspects of the coppice and the less managed areas.

Demonstrations and activities relating towoodland products such as fencing, besombroom-making and spar-making will show visitors the wide variety of benefitsthe woodland resource provides. Thesedemonstrations will run alongside andcomplement the existing activitiesincluded in the museum’s WoodyardWeeks.

Julian BellCurator

interpretation


Woodyard activity

– Occasionaldemonstrations

throughout the year in the woodyard. Watch

out for news on the museum’s

website.

Woodsman Jon Roberts using brushwood tomake faggots, which were used to provideheat in traditional ovens for baking.

New focus on the museum’s woodlandsThe museum has begun a new programme of interpretation andactivity in its woodlands, aiming to re-establish this importantresource as a primary feature of the museum.

Top pic, a view from the opposite side ofthe valley showing the density of thewoodland on and around the museum site– Pendean Farmhouse is on the right.

P. 43_P. 3- 22/02/2013 10:53 Page 43


The 2013 season begins with Open House on MotheringSunday on 10 March when entry is at the special price of£3.50 for everyone and mothers and grandmothers receive ourtraditional complimentary bunch of daffodils. Visitors will beable to get an insight into the lives mothers and families led inthe past. Even Harriet Filkins in Whittaker’s Cottage with eightchildren and no running water or electricity would have celebrated the occasion, perhaps with a visit to a special churchservice – the museum’s tin church from South Wonston will bedecorated in a way that she would have recognised. How did

wealthy yeoman farmer’s wife MrsWells of Bayleaf manage her burgeoning household in the1500s, and what was life like forJoan Clare, mistress of Pendeanuntil her death at 100 years ofage in 1637? Easter Sundayand Monday are on 8/9April, a delightful time to visit,with Easter celebrations, newbornlambs (pictured with Poplar Cottagein the background), and our workinghorses carrying out seasonal activities around the site. There arefamily activities on Wednesdays during the Easter school holidays. On 7-11 April Sheep & Shepherding in the SouthDowns will reveal the importance of sheep to the local economyand way of life in an exhibition and demonstrations around themuseum. Then on 5/6 May the museum’s popular Food &South Downs Fair will take place, with more than 80 standsoffering a wonderful choice of produce – local vegetables andfruit, meats, cheeses, wines, sauces, ciders and beers, ice cream,cakes and confectionery. The event will be attended by theSouth Downs National Park Authority and include ideas forrecreational activity on the Downs, as well as a number of heavyhorse teams carrying out seasonal agricultural tasks. On 17-18May the museum is joining in a national event, Museums atNight, when you can book a visit to our spectacular downlandsite from 8.30pm-11.00pm and discover what dusk and darknessmeant to the rural peasant of the past. An exhibition on themuseum’s Historic Clothing Project will be held on 20-26May, and as the month comes to an end, families can enjoyspringtime half-term activities on 27-31 May.

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-27 Feb open Wed, Sat and Sun only with the exception ofhalf term week, 18-22 Feb, when the museum is open daily. From 28Feb open daily until 23 Dec, plus daily for ‘The Museum at Christmas’26 Dec-1 Jan 2014. Opening times: 10.30am-6.00pm BritishSummer Time, 10.30am-4.00pm rest of the year.

Admission: Ticket prices including Gift Aid (standard charge inbrackets). Adults £11.50 (£10.40); children £6.30 (£5.70); 65+ £10.50(£9.40); Family £32.50 (£29.50); 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

Museum Director: Richard PailthorpeMagazine Editor: Diana ZeunerAdvertising: Julie Aalen Tel: 01243 811016Registered as a charity No. 306338 ISSN 0953 6051

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum Magazineis printed on Black Label Gloss, a coated glosspaper with ISO 14001 environmentalcertification and covered by the European EMASstandard, produced from sustainable forests.

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

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!

P. 44_P. 3- 25/02/2013 09:17 Page 44

Documents

Weald and Downland Magazine 2013