Enjoy Milford on Sea: MOSHRS visit to Weald and Downland Living Museum

The Milford on Sea Historical Record Society members visited the Weald and Downland Living Museum last week.

Members of Milford on Sea Historical Record Society visited this outdoor museum, which is a few miles north of Chichester, on a perfect summer day. The museum ‘rescues’ ancient buildings from being sacrificed to modern development by faithfully reconstructing them in this parkland and woodland setting. Hence, on a typical walk a visitor can see, and enter, buildings such as Titchfield Market Hall, Catherington Treadwheel, Redford Pugmill, Pevensy Windpump, Sole Street Medieval House, Ockly Hay Barn, Lurgashall Watermill, May Day Barn and Stable from Tonbridge and West Kingsdown Horse Whim. In total, there are over fifty exhibits. Many of the buildings contained guides who were able to provide further details on the exhibits.

The Curator gave a short lecture to the Milford visitors on a very modern building, the Downland Gridshell, intended originally as a repair facility for the museum which but has taken on a number of other functions, including that of a lecture hall. The building is the only one of its type in Britain, being constructed from oak laths in a diagonal grid shaped somewhat like a giant peanut. The strength of the building is derived from its double curvature grid (or lattice) which does away with the need for internal columns to support the roof.

Members also visited the collection of artefacts donated to the museum which was located in the basement of the Gridshell. Another onsite repair facility which fascinated many members was the BBC’s Repair Workshop film set.