Pat Coulter visits the living museum home of TV’s “The Repair Shop”
Pat Coulter and Poppy the dog visit the Weald and Downland Living Museum, home to TV’s “The Repair Shop”.
OUR latest outing is inspired by the recent 50th anniversary of the Weald and Downland Living Museum, set in 40 acres within the scenic South Downs National Park in West Sussex.
Just outside the
Cathedral City of Chichester, not far from the coast, the museum in Singleton lies only a few furlongs from glorious Goodwood, known to horse-racing enthusiasts the world over.
The museum first opened in 1970, during the era of Minis and mini-skirts.
Led by museum founder Dr J.R. Armstrong MBE, like-minded people passionate about conserving the fabric of centuries-old buildings under threat of demolition or neglect came together to make his vision a reality.
Over decades, dedicated teams have kept faithful to the ethos of “conserving our past for the future”.
Incredibly, all but one of the “time-capsule” buildings on-site, dating from
950 AD to the 19th century, were originally constructed elsewhere.
The buildings were painstakingly rescued, expertly dismantled brick by brick, timber by timber, from sites within the Weald and Downland area, encompassing Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
Throughout the museum’s five decades, an impressive collection of over 50 historic buildings has been amassed, from homesteads to farmsteads, barns to industrial workshops.
Amongst the awardwinning collection are mediaeval shops, public buildings, a Tudor farmstead, market hall, Victorian school, smithy and even a tin church, all promising an enthralling, fun, educational day out.
There are fascinating tales to be told about each individual building, but none more so than Longport Farmhouse, which was rescued during the construction of the Eurotunnel rail link.
The museum agreed to accept the farmhouse, making way for the terminal’s police station.
With every building having a unique and fascinating story to tell, it’s not surprising that the makers of the BBC’s
“The Repair Shop” were attracted to the museum. They have made it their home since 2017.
Our day begins with an amiable chat with museum marketing manager Emma Keen on the sunny wooden deck outside the beautifully crafted visitor centre and café with its panoramic glass windows overlooking the Mill Pond.
It’s a bucolic scene from centuries ago with the backdrop of historic buildings.
Children are happily feeding the ever-hungry ducks and their endearing ducklings.
Emma points out the illuminated “Repair Shop” sign on display in the café, made by craftsman and programme presenter Dominic Chinea.
It’s a faithful replica of the sign so familiar to viewers that hangs on the side of their workshop studio, Court Barn, and a perfect opportunity for fans to take a memory-making selfie.
“The Repair Shop” fans are often treated to
glorious glimpses of the programme’s beautiful rural setting.
Like me, a trip to the museum is a must for all devotees of the feel-good programme, which has helped sustain so many of us during a challenging year of lockdowns.
Emma agrees the museum and prime-time BBC programme benefit from a genuine synergistic relationship.
She reveals the presenters are a friendly bunch, often happily mingling with visitors when taking a welcome break away from their workbenches and busy filming schedule.
“The Repair Shop” team spend many months of the year at the museum and most of the repairs are carried out within its unique studio setting, the late 17th-century thatched Court Barn, relocated 40 years ago from Lee-on-theSolent in Hampshire.
Emma confides that although the museum doesn’t have any direct connection with the programme, apart from providing the gorgeous venue and scenic location, it is occasionally possible to peek inside the barn for a look around.
The trick is to sign up to the newsletter on the museum’s website.
Emma explains the museum is almost entirely self-funded.
Admission fees from visitors and strong support from some 5,000 members go a long way towards sustaining the museum, although recent events have proved challenging.
The museum did manage to celebrate its golden anniversary with a 1970s-themed picnic for lucky pre-booked ticket holders.
Actor, local resident and museum supporter Hugh Bonneville was on hand to pop a cork to mark the auspicious occasion in true “Downtown Abbey” style.
It’s with huge relief and optimism that the museum can now reopen fully with special themed events back on the calendar, including country craft shows and food fayres.
It’s a big shout out to the museum’s enthusiastic band of some 400 volunteers. Many are retired and give their time generously. In return, they enjoy rewarding work in a wonderful environment with like-minded colleagues.
Time for us to say our goodbyes to Emma and head off to explore.
Poppy’s lucky it’s a dog-friendly place.
The distant rumble at the far end of the Mill Pond lures us to Lurgashall Mill, a fully operational watermill dating from the 17th century.
It still produces stoneground flour in time-honoured fashion.
Although you would think the mill has resided here for centuries, it was originally located in the hamlet of Lurgashall on the Sussex-Surrey border.
Alongside the mill, the museum’s latest acquisition is a perfect complement.
A wood-fired bakehouse has been reassembled from its original location in Newdigate, Surrey.
Now visitors can not only buy wholemeal flour sold in the museum shop for their own home baking, but also sample the museum’s very own bread in the café.
And, of course, there’s nothing quite like the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread straight from an authentic old-fashioned oven!
Beyond the aroma-filled bakehouse lies Court Barn, home to “The Repair Shop”.
Although out of bounds when filming is taking place, visitors can easily get close enough to admire the fine late 17th-century thatched agricultural building, which formerly resided some 20 or so miles away in Hampshire.
The “The Repair Shop” sign is brilliantly illuminated and there’s a relaxed-looking Dominic Chinea standing outside the gigantic barn doors taking a casual coffee break from his workbench.
I’ve just spotted the wooden hedgehog house tucked secretively under a nearby hedgerow, lovingly crafted by “The Repair Shop” furniture restorer Will Kirk during a spare moment when
not filming.
How sweet and thoughtful of him! Thanks to Emma for tipping me off.
A head-turning clipclopping sound reveals one of the museum’s heavy horses earning his keep pulling hefty tree trunks in traditional fashion.
Distant whinnies come from the nearby pasture where his pals are enjoying a day off.
Much of the timber required for museum purposes, such as fencemaking, is harvested from its own sustainable woodland.
Another treat for visitors is seeing the horses ploughing the museum’s expansive fields with military-straight furrows.
It’s horsey heaven for “The Repair Shop” saddle maker Suzie Fletcher.
Equestrian-loving Suzie’s passion for horses began in childhood, which led her to a career in saddle-making and leatherwork, which she’s been enjoying for over 40 years.
Suzie has confessed to being nuts about horses since she can remember.
As a child she vividly recalls making saddles and bridles for her rocking horse and Sindy horse.
Then it’s back to school as headmistress Katharine beckons me, a reluctant pupil, into the Victorian schoolhouse.
It’s complete with wooden desks and ink wells, admittedly a familiar sight from my more studious days, although the abacus in the corner is a bit before my time!
Still, I’m on my best behaviour!
Moving swiftly on, time for a refreshment break at the authentic shepherd’s hut imaginatively repurposed, complete with coffee machine and baked goodies.
Chickens are happily clucking about, no doubt hopeful of a morsel.
Down by Bayleaf Tudor Farmstead the museum’s resident Saddleback pigs are equally hopeful, as is Poppy!
The timber-framed farmstead is one of the museum’s most impressive buildings, and was also an early acquisition in 1972 from Chiddingstone, Kent.
Bayleaf is a fine example of a traditional Wealden Hall House, particular to south-east England, dating back to the 15th century.
Most of these houses were built by prosperous traders and craftsmen in towns, and by yeoman farmers in the countryside.
Stepping inside, there is a homely fire burning, not in a grate but laid on the earthen floor and lit for cooking.
It brings welcome warmth into the open, lofty central hall. Smoke curls up through the rafters, seeps through the gaps in the tiles and wafts through the windows open to the elements.
No chimney or glazing in those days!
Outside, domestic interpretation guide Fiona sits, spinning yarn from the fleece of the cute local Southdown sheep – so local the flock of ewes and lambs are in the fold next door!
A Manx Loaghtan fleece lies nearby, next to a beautifully knitted replica of a traditional Gunnister purse as found on the famous Gunnister Man, who was unearthed in a Shetland Islands peat bog in the 1950s, which contained coins from the Netherlands.
Following the enticing aromas from nearby Winkhurst Tudor Kitchen, there’s food aplenty to sample that would have been eaten by the occupants of Bayleaf Farmstead in the 1550s.
It’s simple, wholesome, traditional fayre. Handmade butter and cheese, griddle bread cooked over an open fire, fried “chewits” (pastry filled with spinach, onion and other vegetables), pottage made from seasonal vegetables and an unusual concoction of beef and prune pottage with walnuts.
Herbs and vegetables used in the traditional Tudor kitchen are grown in the museum’s charmingly rustic period gardens.
Herbs such as winter savory, lovage and alexanders played an important part in the Tudor diet, helping to enhance the flavour of an often rather bland diet.
They certainly seemed to get their five-day in those times, with a wide variety of greens, including spinach, kale and, more unusually, nettles, Good King Henry, fat hen, coleworts, plus red and green orach.
Like us, be sure to visit the Weald and Downland Living Museum and savour the delights for yourself.
It’s a wonderfully fulfilling experience.
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