A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MARKET

Find that perfect gift and enjoy a great day out: Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, Weald and Downland Open Air Museum

The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester, will be holding a Christmas Market over the weekend of 14 & 15 November. The Market will be set in and around the historic buildings on the Museum’s beautiful downland site, with admission only £2.50, including access to the full Museum site and all exhibit buildings. It will be an ideal opportunity to find that perfect Christmas gift, and enjoy a day out in this beautiful historic setting.

There will be around 100 trade stands with arts, crafts, food, unusual gifts and much more located throughout the site. Visitors will be able to browse and buy at their leisure, while taking in the delightful landscape at this time of year with its parkland, fields, woodland and picturesque lake. The Museum’s historic buildings will be open, all of which have been rescued from their original locations and carefully reconstructed, showcasing the lives and times of the rural people of south east England over the last 500 years.

As well as the craft and trade stands, there will be music, hot chestnuts to ward off the winter chill, and other tasty seasonal treats to sample and buy, including a delicious hog roast. Visitors will also enjoy meeting the working donkeys which will be on site throughout the weekend. We are pleased to welcome Broadcaster and Novelist, Kate Mosse who will be signing copies of her latest bestseller ‘The Winter Ghosts’ between 11am and 1pm on both days. Kate is a long-time supporter of the Museum and has recently become a Trustee.

The Christmas Market takes place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November from 10.30am to 4pm. Entry costs are at the greatly reduced rate of £2.50 per person and includes access to all the Museum’s site and exhibits.

Background information
The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established schools programme, and an adult learning programme of courses in building conservation
and rural crafts. There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes. The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

Note to editors: Reporters and photographers welcome. For further information and photographs contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer on 01243 811363, fax 01243 811475, email marketing@wealddown.co.uk . Further details about the Museum and its activities are also available on the Museum information line on 01243 811348, or at www.wealddown.co.uk .

For trade stand enquiries please contact Sue O’Keeffe on 01243 811013, events@wealddown.co.uk

22.10.09