Okay. I have to share the news on this awesome hidden treasure we’ve found! Weald and downland living museum. I am not usually one who loves a museum, far from it. But this is on another level, all of a sudden I want to learn about history, absorbing everything around me. Something I wish I had in school, I love to share that excitement with my own children, to actually show them our history, to live and to understand it better than any text book can ever show you.
It’s not your average museum, it isn’t based in one room full of things behind glass doors and huge amounts of information to read up on. It is set in a beautiful landscape if lots of rural buildings. There are rooms full of dressing up clothes, where you can transform in to a Victorian and re create their day to day lives. There are many houses and cottages that you can explore, play and touch everything you see. The bed mattresses made of straw that you can lounge around on, role play and embrace the environment you find yourself in. The living farm you actively see being harvested, the flour being made right in front of your eyes, workshops going on throughout the day for all to get involved with, the employees and volunteers giving you all the information you may want to hear, to show you first hand how things would have worked many years ago – they have all been fantastic with my three year old too!
So we recently brought an annual ticket, I checked out all the events they have going on throughout the year and I figured just them alone I’d love to see. The annual ticket is paid off with less than three trips to the museum, so it’s really a no brainier. Also!! Under 5’s are free, how amazing is that?! So I paid for an annual ticket for me for £34! So good. We’ve already been twice in one week. For a family of 5, it’s £87 for the year! Literally so good.
The events they hold throughout the year look amazing, we just went to the autumn countryside show, which was just beautiful. Full of craft, food and art stalls, beautiful animals, old tractors and horse/donkey rides. Just a lovely day out. The next one we are looking forward to is the Christmas market – FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER TO SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2017. Again this will be full of craft stalls etc which are full of unusual gifts which are beautifully handcrafted right in front of you. Gahhh just so amazing and Christmassy. OH! I also saw a sneak peak of their Christmas set up and they have a snow machine…IT IS TO DIE FOR! I’m way too excited over this place.
So please. If you do one thing the rest of this year, visit here either before Christmas or for the Christmas market, it will make your dreams come true for your family. And get an annual ticket because it’s such a fricken bargain!
I am such a believer of amazing things all around you, you just have to go out there and explore, think outside the box, because there is so much around you that you wouldn’t even realise! One things for sure that after a day of W&D, the kids are knackered!
Here are some deets you may like to know;
Weald & Downland Living Museum
Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex
PO18 0EU
T: 01243 811363
E: office@wealddown.co.uk
