SEWARDS OF PETERSFIELD

Engineer, Threshing and Haulage Contractors
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Amberley Working Museum

Amberley Working Museum

Down in deepest Sussex is Amberley Working Museum. The whole complex is built on the site of the old limeworks nestled under the chalk hills of the village of Amberley. Upon entering the the museum you walk out of the reception, where you pay a fairly reasonable entrance fee, into a covered area built from the old tin roofed sheds originally used by the limeworks in its hay day. Passing the old engine shed, which once housed one of the steam railway locos which was used to take the lime from the works to the mainline station a few hundred yards away, there’s lots to explore. A large array of buildings spread across the 36 acre site.

You’ll find a fabulous old print works where you can purchase various pictures and scripts produced on the very machines working here. Round every corner there is something worth seeing. Most items are either well described or actually working, living up to the museum’s name. The soon to be extended narrow gauge steam mine train offers a pleasant ride through the site and takes its passengers up to the reconstructed drying shed from Nightgales Brickworks, Petersfield, Hampshire. Alongside the old brickworks building is a pottery where demonstrations take place in the art of using a potters wheel. There are also souvenir mugs etc. for sale.

Across from the pottery are the EDF Energy Hall of Electricity and Connected Earth Telecommunications pavilions with plenty for children and grown ups to learn and play with. There are collections including the Southdowns buses and the “local” village garage.

Up by the kilns you’ll find the Paviors pavilion which describes how roads were/are made and repaired.

In addition to the narrow gauge railway there are also a wonderful 1920s Tilling Stevens double decker bus, and trailer rides pulled by the museums Tasker Tractor and Marshall Roller.

Refreshments are available on site at the newly built Limeburners Restaurant.

Throughout the year there are many events held as Amberley Working Museum, and each has its own special theme. It’s well worth a visit.