WEALD & DOWNLAND MUSEUM MAGAZINE Autumn 2016 Raising the frame – new lease of life for medieval aisled hall Weald & Downland Museum £2.50 where sold 27 Markets, 5, 20 & 31 What’s fairs & felons – On 2016-17, the story of Events, Winter Titchfield activities & 17 Market Hall 39 Courses Weald & Downland Museum Opening Times and Admission Welcome Opening daily until 27 November 2016. Open 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 and 26-27 December 2016. Closed January and February 2017 with the exception of It is a privilege to have been appointed delivered as our Gateway Project is com- half-term week (20-24 February). the new CEO of a museum that I’ve long pleted. I have the utmost respect for all Open daily from 1 March 2017. admired, thoroughly believe in and enjoy. those who have given their time to support Opening times: 10.30am-4pm or 10.30am-6.00pm during British Summer I am delighted to have been entrusted to our museum. Time. Opening times vary on major event make a difference here at our amazing Changing how we do things, including days – please see our website or call us museum and I look forward to engaging the recruitment of new senior staff to for details. with many of you in that task. Our editor newly created posts across our museum’s set me some questions and I hope my management will position the museum for Admission: ticket prices include Gift Aid answers will give you some insight into growth. This in turn will ensure we deal (standard charges in brackets). Adults £13.00 what motivates me as a cultural heritage with some of our pressing priorities, (£11.50); 65+ £12.00 (£10.50); Children leader (see page 6). including the maintenance of our 50 build- £7.00 (£6.00); Family £36.00 (£32.00); My first four months have been focused ings and our Designated collections, and Registered disabled & single helper £5.00 (£4.50); 3s and under enter for free. Call on discovering how the museum works the re-erection of some of the 12 buildings 01243 811363 for details of group rates and and deciding what is needed to ensure that we still have in store, post delivery of disabled access. Free car and coach parking. that the museum can grow sustainably as Gateway. Dogs on leads welcome. Café, picnic areas, the major investment currently being Two of these buildings will be the book and gift shop. Weald & Downland Museum Singleton, Chichester West Sussex PO18 0EU Museum office Tel: 01243 811363 Information line: 01243 811348 Email: [email protected] 5 Website: www.wealddown.co.uk Annual Membership: 01243 811893 Chief Executive Officer: Martin Purslow Magazine Editor: Diana Zeuner Advertising: Katie Jardine Tel: 01243 811010 Registered as a charity No. 306338 ISSN 0953 6051 18 27 The timber frame of the museum’s medieval aisled hall from Sole Street, Kent, takes shape on its new site. See page 8. Weald & Downland Museum Magazine is printed on Edixion The museum this winter ......5 The challenge of our Offset, uncoated paper with ISO 14001 environmental busiest days ..........................25 certification and covered by The Gateway Project ............7 the European EMAS standard, produced from sustainable Titchfield Market Hall..........27 forests. Raising the frame ..................8 Typeset by Dorchester Typesetting Group Ltd, The Anglo-Saxon House.....18 Courses ..................................31 Dorchester, Dorset Printed by Pensord (www.Pensord.co.uk) What’s On ..............................20 Collecting update .................36 2 Weald & Downland Museum AUTUMN 2016 subject of our first Christmas appeal, Visitors this summer have benefited supporting a major grant funding bid from some immediate changes which for restoration in 2017, so watch out have improved their experience. Perhaps for a leaflet in a few weeks’ time. The the simplest but most effective is our daily Newdigate Bakery with origins in the 17th ten-minute talks programme which has century and housing an extensive Victorian seen thousands of people learn a little bakery when dismantled in the early more about aspects of our work, collec- 1980s, will give the museum a working tions and stories every day. It has also building in which to demonstrate craft- given staff the ability to engage in a baked goods production. We aim to supply different way directly with our visitors. If goods for sale made from our own wheat, visitors’ comments online are anything harvested by our Shire horses, threshed to go by, our position as the top thing and milled on site. The other building, to see or do in the region, after the Eastgate Dairy, is an unusual originally- Cathedral, is something to be proud of, if thatched model diary dating from c1807. not complacent about. Certainly we can Its restoration and reinstatement will offer always improve our experience. another working building linked to food Rather than close at the end of November production. after our Christmas Fair, we will now open supporting our appeals, and Receipt of the Queens Award for Volun- the museum for Christmas events on I look forward to meeting many more of teering in the summer highlights one of our weekends in the lead up to Christmas and you over the coming months at this greatest assets, our 600+ volunteers, and on 26-27 December, continuing a tradition beautiful place. I sincerely thank all for giving so freely and that many of our members and visitors bringing our museum to life. We could simply enjoy with their families. The grounds and not open the museum without you. Another parkland will also remain open for walking highlight in 2016 has been our events pro- throughout the winter for our members. gramme: every major event this year has I thank you for your support and many of Martin Purslow seen an increase in visits and revenue. you for your generosity in recent months Chief Executive Officer Christmas Card 2016 We’re on the Family Leading landscape artist Gordon Friendly Museum shortlist! Rushmer has The museum is delighted to have been shortlisted for the 2016 generously enabled Family Friendly Museum Award – the only award where children and us to use one of his families pick the winners after anonymous road-testing in the summer. stunning images for Run by Kids in Museums, and supported by Philip Mould Gallery this year’s Christmas and the Asso ciation of Leading Visitor Attractions, the museum is card. This lovely one of 10 attractions to have made the list this year. scene of the market Jess, aged 13, said this about the museum: “I was very excited to square in the snow visit as we do not normally go to open air museums, yet the dismal is one of a number weather looked like it would ruin our day. Luckily we had a of works this award- F*A*N*T*A*S*T*I*C time and the museum E-X-C-E-E-D-E-D my winning local painter has made following visits to the expectations!” museum. Gordon Rushmer staged an exhibition of his And Emily Beckwith, work at the museum this summer. The cards are available 22, a Kids in Museums at a minimum order of two packs (10 cards) for £7.00 volunteer and one of plus £2.50 p&p from the museum’s website, www.weald the people on the down.co.uk, or by post, or you can buy them in the shortlisting panel said: museum shop (01243 811020), where a single pack “The organisation came of five costs £3.50. across as forward think- ing, trying to find new ways to engage with Reader survey families and children.” Dea Birkett, creative As a registered charity, we regularly review our spending director of Kids in to ensure that we are making the best use of our resources. Museums said: “It’s It currently costs £30,000 each year to produce and great to see the Weald mail two issues of this magazine, and we welcome your & Downland Museum feedback about what is important to you about it. Please on the shortlist for the first time and so praised and supported by take three minutes to complete our online reader survey, families and children. It’s a very special place that is committed so that we can continue to produce an interesting and to putting young people and families at its heart and encouraging informative magazine – thank you. https://www.survey new visitors. We wish the museum best of luck when the undercover monkey.co.uk/r/wdoam-mag family judges arrive!’ The winner was due to be announced in late October. Weald & Downland Museum AUTUMN 2016 3 New online presence for museum Our award-winning programme of courses can now be booked online via a button on each course web page, which means that you can now book outside of office hours. Admission tickets for the museum can now also be booked online – for general visits, special events, talks, walks and more! Looking for a unique gift? Browse and buy from our new online shop, which stocks a growing selection of gifts, souvenirs, books and more. Visit our website to find out more or to book and shop online: www.wealddown.co.uk/museum-shop. Families get busy Our volunteers win the There’s masses for children and families to do at the museum, especially on our half-term activity weeks and Wonderful Queen’s Award! Wednesdays throughout the summer holidays. Plus, The museum’s committed and enthusiastic band of this year we ran Explorer Activity Week for volunteers has won the prestigious Queen’s Award for 8-12-year-olds in late July, and the same Voluntary Service.