Rural Life Living Museum, Tilford
The museum displays farming through the seasons, local hop growing, tools and crafts allied to country industries and needs. The social history of village life from the 19th century is displayed covering school life, domestic work, period shops and trades. There is a working iron furnace and a woodyard, both run by the volunteers. It also hosts the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Old Kiln Light Railway and a Blacksmith's forge.
The museum was originally assembled as a private collection by Henry and Madge Jackson, starting from 1948 when they moved into the adjacent Old Kiln Cottage. The Old Kiln Agricultural Museum itself first opened in 1973, originally occupying Henry's Yard, a small part of the current site. In 1984 the museum trust was created to secure the museum's future, and the museum was renamed as the Rural Life Centre. Madge and Henry both died in the early years of the 21st century. In 2019 the museum obtained further funding and was again renamed, this time to the Rural Life Living Museum.
References
- ^ "Rural Life Centre". Country Living Guide to The South East of England. Travel publishing. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
- ^ "Rural Life Living Museum". Rural Life Living Museum. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Rural Life Living Museum". Surrey Museums Partnership. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ "About Us". Rural Life Living Museum. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
External links