Weald & Downland Living Museum

About

Be part of something historic and discover Sussex rural history through the seasons, in the heart of the picturesque South Downs. See what rural living was like with over a 1,000 years of history to explore, and over 50 relocated historic houses covering the 40 acre site.

Founded in 1970, the award-winning Weald & Downland Living Museum is a leading museum of historic buildings in England, covering 40 acres in the South Downs National Park in West Sussex.

It includes over 50 historic buildings dating from 950AD to the 19th century, re-erected from their original sites in south east England, together with period gardens, traditional farm animals and a mill pond.

The exhibit buildings range from a reconstruction of a Saxon hall house to working buildings of the late 19th century. They are complemented by a collection, located in the Downland Gridshell Building, of building fixtures and fittings such as hinges, latches and doors, as well as larger structural elements and materials used in building construction and conservation.

The Museum also holds excellent collections relating to rural life, including agriculture, domestic life, trades and industries, and transport. A library of printed books, maps and other published materials relevant to the collections is held by the Museum for study purposes. The collections are ‘Designated’ as being of national importance in England, and the Museum has full “Accreditation“.

As well as bringing to life the homes, farmsteads and rural industries represented by its collections and exhibits, other themes are strongly represented at the Museum, including landscape, agriculture, animal husbandry, science and sustainability. Interpretation is achieved mainly through people, together with modest panel displays and publications.