Amberley Working Museum

My wife Clare and I had the pleasure of greeting several Paviors at the Museum on Sunday, 12th September, 2004 which was especially arranged by Roger Barnard for the Livery Company to get to know the Museum better.  It was a pity that the day was not better supported (and this may have had something to do with the weather) and so to encourage further visits and greater support I hope that this article will whet Liverymen's and their families appetites.

The Paviors have of course a direct involvement with Amberley for in 1995 the Roadmakers Exhibition Hall was opened by the Museum's President, HRH Price Michael of Kent, who takes a close interest in the Museum's development.  He visited again in 2002 when the £1 million Telecommunications Exhibition Hall was opened and again in May 2004 for the Museum's 25th Anniversary Celebrations when the new Railway Exhibition Hall, funded by the National Lottery, was opened by him.  At all these events the Master for the year has been an honoured guest.

The Pavior's history of roads and roadmaking is but one of more than thirty indoor exhibitions, often manned and demonstrated in buildings ranging from a traditional rural telephone exchange to the new purpose built Telecommunications Hall.  The Museum site covers 36 acres of a former chalk quarry and lime production site.  It conserves parts of both the industrial and natural heritage of the area and tells of the working lives of many people in the region over the last 150 years, from blacksmith to bus driver, with an emphasis on 20th century technological change and development.

The Museum is also the workplace of several traditional crafts people such as broom maker, clay pipe maker, potter, walking stick maker, blacksmith and foundry man, all of whom run their own workshops, producing and selling their wares.  Of special interest to all visitors are the vintage buses that run around the site together with the narrow gauge railway which takes visitors up and down the site.  A brand new 96 seater restaurant with bar is where flagging bodies and spirits can be revived.

Education and lifelong learning is at the heart of the Museum's activities.  As a learning experience it has so much to offer across the curriculum and the key stages, particularly in science, technology, history and geography.  It is in an ideal setting that enables children (and all those interested in learning) to appreciate the natural downland environment and the influences man and technology have had on it.  The Museum exhibits link well with themes such as "River, Rail and Road", "Wood to Word", "Telegraph to Telephone", "Clay to Pot", "Trees to Timber", "Candle to Bulb", "Carriage to Bus" and many more.

All ages can learn about the skills of the Tradesmen such as a Wheelwright and materials he uses, can find out about past and present travel, taking a close look at a 1920's bus and can experience the magic of electricity from its discovery to the present day.  Of particular fascination is the development of the telephone and the use of interactive displays in the Connected Earth Exhibition, the development of the printed word with visits to the Print Workshop to see Printers at work and finally but by no means least a glimpse of domestic life in the past in the Electricity Hall, using artefacts to compare with life today.
There is so much more as well but hopefully all this will show that Amberley Working Museum really does work.  It is to be hoped that this article has given more than just a flavour of where the Paviors splendid Roadmakers Exhibition is situated and what goes on around it.

The Museum has two Education Officers on a job share basis.  The standard of the service that they provide has been favourably commented on by the education world.  The increasing numbers of schools visiting the Museum is becoming quite a challenge.