Around Chichester Accommodation

15thC Medieval Shop from Horsham & Market Hall (c.1620) from Tichfield Hampshire. Weald & Downland Museum
17th Century Flint & Brick House from Walderton in Sussex . Weald & Downland Museum
Inside a late 19th century Plumbers Workshop from Newick in Sussex. Weald & Downland Museum
Medieval House from North Cray in Kent - a classic medieval hall-house
The Fittleworth Tudor Wall Panels. Weald & Downland Museum
19thC Toll Cottage from Beeding in Sussex

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum South Downs near Chichester UK

The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton is a special place for here sits around 50 rescued historic buildings including medieval shops, 18th century cottages, watermills, farmhouses and barns from across the Weald and Downland of Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Surrey. Many of these precious buildings would most probably have been lost were it not for the launch of the Singleton Museum by a group of enthusiasts in the late 1960s. A favoured school trip, the educational and interactive displays here are outstanding - the museum is a superb Sussex family attraction. The outdoor site is spread across 50 acres with ample picnic areas and lots of interactive exhibits and leaflets for children. Particularly special here is the preservation of tools, traditional homes, workplaces and in some cases oral testament of the everyday people of the Downs and Weald from the 13th to the 19th century. These are the histories that often get lost or forgotten, but not here at the Weald & Downland Museum, an attraction not to be missed in the Chichester area.

The Chichester area of the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty incorporates a charming selection of villages. Singleton village, Chilgrove, Cocking, Upwaltham and the four linked hamlets of West Marden, North Marden, East Marden and Up Marden all make superb bases from which to explore the South Downs. All these delightful villages, many with outstanding local country pubs, afford easy access to the choice of attractions across the Chichester area of the South Downs including the Goodwood Racecourse & Estate, the Weald & Downland Museum, the ancient yew tree forests at Kingley Vale NNR, Chichester's historic city centre and Uppark and Petworth House and historic Midhurst and the Cowdray ruins. Tourist Information Centres in the area are located in Chichester City Centre (South Street) and at Midhurst on the main North Street.

Featured Sussex Accommodation

Findon Manor Hotel - Findon

Beautiful English Country Manor Hotel with multi-award winning restaurant. Luxury en-suite rooms with 4 poster & jacuzzis. On edge of South Downs np.

£30 to £77 Per person B&B (2 sharing)

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum

As the name of this top Sussex family attraction suggests, the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton really is a journey through the history of the South's Weald and Downs rural Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Spread across 50 acres of stunning Sussex countryside and situated in the heart of the Sussex South Downs north of Chichester, the museum is home to around 50 historic rescued buildings dating from the 13th to the 19th century.

Rescued buildings from the Weald and Downland across Sussex, Kent, Surrey and Hampshire include from Sussex a Granary from Littlehampton (1731), a Watermill from Lurgashall (17th century), a Toll Cottage from Beeding (1807), a medieval cottage from Hangleton (probably built in the 13th century), Pendean farmhouse from Midhurst (1609) and a medieval shop from Horsham dating from the 15th century. Many more are spread across the site from all four of the Weald and Downland counties, each having been dismantled at their original site and reconstructed here at Singleton. Inside each of the buildings are exhibit plaques and audio histories and it's well worth picking up a comprehensive guidebook from the museum's shop which provides further details on each building and explores broader themes such as medieval shopping, construction methods and how tools were used in their own time.

One of the most popular school trips in the South, the Weald & Downland Museum is perfect for family days out offering an extensive outdoor area with interactive educational exhibits and leaflets for children. An attractive lake and ample picnic areas plus a gift shop, cafe and free adjacent parking are all on-site. At least two and a half hours are recommended for any visit which starts in the introductory Hambrook barn. Yellow and Red route markers guide you around the site which includes working shire horses, farm animals and reconstructed gardens around buildings as they would have been pertaining to the property's period. As well as historic buildings detailing the history of traditional homes and workplaces across the Weald & Downs the collection here at Singleton includes an extensive selection of agricultural tools, country crafts and industry equipment. You will discover what are actually fascinating histories such as the history of plumbing and the changing materials used for pipes and so forth.

Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Chichester West Sussex PO18 0EU. Tel. 01243 811348. Opening times vary throughout the year so check details via the webguide. The museum is open all year round except over the Christmas period and weddings, birthday parties and corporate events are welcome.