What’s on at the Weald and Downland Museum?

The Weald and Downland Museum is one of the Chichester area’s top attractions. With huge variety of history-based events, exhibitions and family walks and talks planned throughout the year, there’s always something fascinating to discover.

In the heart of the South Downs National Park between Goodwood and West Dean, the museum is only 20 minutes’ drive from our luxury holiday cottages in West Sussex and offers a great day out at any time of year. Read on for our hand-picked selection of the best events at Weald and Downland Museum throughout 2019.

MAY 25-26 – Historic Life Weekend: Medieval Medicine

New for 2019, the museum’s Historic Life weekends cater for history nuts and casual visitors alike. The ‘Medieval Medicine’ weekend explores a fascinating (and often gory) park of our history, revealing how people dealt with sickness in medieval times. See the full 2019 list of Historic Life weekends here.

JUNE 21 – Poisoned Beds (Live Theatre)

It’s 1818.. In the seaside hamlet of Emsworth, near Chichester (and just a pebble’s throw from Quay Quarters), a young oyster farmer named Elizabeth Wells rises to fame and fortune – only to meet with tragedy. Don’t miss this truly original piece of local art from Lucy Flannery and Greg Mosse. After the show there will be a Q&A with Greg and company.

JULY 14 – Rare & Traditional Breeds Shows

A popular event for the whole family, the Rare & Traditional Breeds Show returns to the Weald and Downland Museum for more farmyard frolics. Meet both the breeders and their animals in a friendly atmosphere and learn how these magnificent breeds are nurtured. The show welcomes dogs (on leads) and is wonderful for enrichment, making our dog-friendly holiday cottages the perfect place to stay this July.

AUGUST 7, 14, 21 & 28 – Wonderful Wednesdays Summer Holiday Activities

Jump into a world of activities this summer with Wonderful Wednesdays. Get hands-on with an exciting range of outdoor activities and enjoy a different schedule each week. Perfect for fun-loving families looking to get active during their stay at one of our holiday cottages. Please note that children must be accompanied by adults at all times.

AUGUST 17-18 – Saddles & Steam: Horse Power to Horse Power

A celebration of all forms of transport through the ages! There’ll be plenty of four-legged friends hauling vintage carriages, plus model boats and mini steam engines to excite young visitors. History fans will love the horse displays and Second World War vehicles. To cap it off, there’s also a dazzling display of vintage cars.

OCTOBER 31 – Museum at night: Family Tale Trail

See the Weald and Downland Museum in a whole new light with a special night-time tour! an enchanted evening awaits with twilight tales of spooky events, majestic creatures and unforgettable stories from the museum’s past. There’s sure to be something to delight the whole family!

NOVEMBER 22-24 – Christmas Market

Enjoy the magic of Christmas among the old buildings and houses in the museum grounds. This buzzing market boasts over 150 different stalls – food and drink, arts and crafts, quirky gifts and much more. It’s the perfect place to do your Christmas shopping and support Sussex businesses as well as traditional trades.

Book a stay at Quay Quarters that goes down in history…

Not only is the Weald and Downland Museum a great place for families and couples but, like Quay Quarter’s it”s dog-friendly too. So why not book a stay for the whole clan in one of our dog-friendly holiday cottages or at our bed and breakfast and have an adventure that’s fit for the history books?