Farm Fresh!

This morning I drove to my nearest farm shop to stock up on some fresh fruit and veg, so much nicer than heading for the boring supermarket. I found they had everything I needed; plus the most glorious bunches of ranunculi - I just couldn't resist and bought two lots....

...... they are brightening up the whole house with their beauty!

The farm shop also had fresh homemade pasties, something else I couldn't resist.....the smell of a warm pasty is sooooo mouthwatering! I had to drive round doing the rest of my chores with that tempting smell in my nostrils.

In my family it's always been traditional to eat pickled onions and chutney with our pasties - quite delicious!

One of my chores was to pick up a film from the developers (when I want to take 'proper' photographs I still use my good old SLR camera with roll film). I realised that the film had been in the camera since last July!!! so it was a nice surprise to find out just what was on there.... 

  Last July I spent a few days up in Sussex, and one of those lovely days was spent at The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton. Luckily I also took a load of photos on my digital camera so I can share them with you now.....

The Museum is a wonderful collection of traditional old buildings from Sussex and the surrounding area that have been transplanted brick by brick, timber by timber, from their original location where they were in danger of falling down, to their present home, nestled in a valley among fields and hedgerows, where they can be preserved and enjoyed as a window onto our past.

Inside the humble cottages and grander manor houses are replicas of the furniture and household utensils that would have been used

Outside the gardens have been laid out and planted with all those traditional cottage garden flowers, herbs and medicinal plants, as well as vegetables and fruit bushes and trees

There were only a handful of other people wandering around the day I was there, it was so peaceful, warm, sunny and green; a perfect English summer scene.....

Ramshackle workshops and barns are also part of the museum experience,

showing the tools of trades long since gone..... 

 and farming implements.....

 .....happily some of which are still used to carry out work in the fields at the Museum. This shire horse was seen earlier in the day cutting the hay.

A threadbare jacket hanging in a real shepherd's hut....

the sheep were so cute!

The Victorian potting shed,

and the Victorian Schoolroom......

Probably my favourite interior was that of a railway worker's cottage, circa 1910; it really was like stepping back in time inside someone's private home whilst the owner has just popped out.....the furniture and fittings have been lovingly put together, and there are no signs saying 'Don't touch' - you are free to pick up the objects and sit on the chairs....

 The Parlour....

The Pantry.....

An old mangle in the lean-to....

 The colour on the walls in the main bedroom is just so uplifting!

A rag rug on the floor and a potty under the bed,

and a gorgeous patchwork quilt.

I hope you've enjoyed the tour! 

There are some wonderful events going on at the Museum throughout the year, go to 

www.wealddown.co.uk

and I hope you too will be able to go and experience six centuries of our rural heritage. 

XXX