I recently visited the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, located in West Sussex in the UK. Founded in 1967, this independent museum was established to preserve hundreds of years of history of rural and village life.
Many historic buildings from the region have been relocated to the Museum. Two of these are included in this series of images.
The Toll House was moved from Beeding in Sussex. It was originally built in the early 1800’s to control entry to a new turnpike, and tolls were collected for all vehicular and animal traffic. For example, “For every Horse, Mule, Afs. or other Beast laden or unladen and not drawing, the Sum of Two-pence”. Toll roads are not a new thing.
Whittaker’s Cottage #1 was built in Asthead Surrey in the 1860’s. It is furnished with the Museum’s collections as it may have been in the late 19th Century, when the house was occupied by the Filkins family, which included 8 children. Each floor of the 2-storey cottage has two rooms – one heated, and the other not. I wonder how the heated bedrooms were allocated?
Stay tuned for a post on the people of the Weald & Downland.
Nick Watkins 