HISTORIC STEAM FESTIVAL BACK FOR FOURTH FANTASTIC YEAR

Steam Festival at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum
Saturday/Sunday 14 & 15 August 2010

A delightful festival of all things steamy will reach its fourth successful year this summer in the heart of the new South Downs National Park. Located in the historic setting of the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, England’s leading museum of historic buildings and traditional rural life, the Steam Festival has become a highlight of the region’s summer events calendar. Held at the Museum in Singleton, near Chichester, West Sussex, over the weekend of 14 & 15 August, the event will appeal to both steam enthusiasts, and visitors looking for an exciting day out full of unusual sights, sounds and smells!

The event will celebrate the historical significance of many types of steam power throughout the Museum’s site: the lovely 50 acre downland setting provides a fitting backdrop to all the bustle and excitement of an old-fashioned Steam Festival. Steam engines will be demonstrating the kind of work around the site for which they were originally designed, in an event packed with exhibits, demonstrations and displays representing how steam power was used for industry, agriculture, road, rail and shipping. The informal atmosphere and the chance to get up close to the exhibits will delight visitors of all ages, who will be able to chat to the owners whose tireless work and enthusiasm has ensured the restoration and future of these wonderful machines. 

Exhibits will range from huge working traction engines, showman’s engines, and steam rollers, to scale models which will rove around the site during the event. There will be steam lorries, cars, model boats on the lake, and a couple of ride-on narrow gauge railways which are always popular with visitors. As well as displays in the central arena, the whole site will be used to demonstrate aspects of steam power at work, including steam powered agricultural machinery, and a demonstration of steam powered wood lifting, transportation and sawing in the Museum’s historic working Woodyard.

One of the most popular features of the day is likely to be the spectacular steam powered carousel gallopers, the most popular of fairground rides of the steam era, with rides for children (and grown-up children!) of all ages. There will also be a host of trade stands to browse and buy. As one delighted lady visitor commented last year “I didn’t think a steam rally was going to be my sort of thing…but I was thrilled by the whole experience, so many sights and sounds. I can’t wait till next year!”

The Steam Festival runs from 10.30am to 5pm. The Museum is open daily until 23 December from 10.30am to 6pm. Admission charges are adults £9, over 60s £8.15, children £4.80, family £24.75, under 5’s free.

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 .

28.06.10