Weald & Downland Living Museum confirms opening date

The museum looks forward to welcoming visitors back to enjoy the outdoor site, which is set in 40 acres within the beautiful South Downs National Park. Museum director Simon Wardell said: “The wellbeing of visitors, volunteers and staff is of the upmost importance, so the museum has worked hard to ensure the correct safety measures are in place and that there is a robust social distancing plan that adheres to government guidelines. “ As part of their reopening strategy and to ensure social distancing restrictions can be maintained, entry to the museum will be through timed, pre-booked tickets only. Tickets will be available to book online from Wednesday, June 17 and will need to be booked in advance by midnight the day before arrival. This applies to members as well as the general public. There will be a take-away service available onsite which includes hot and cold refreshments. Visitors are also encouraged to bring their own picnics to enjoy in the scenic grounds of the museum where additional outdoor and undercover space has been organised. Further health and safety protocols have also been put in place including additional signage, way-finding markers, queuing systems, safety screens and contactless transactions, as well as increased cleaning and sanitisation. Simon added: “To ensure those visiting can continue to enjoy the fascinating collection of historic buildings found on site which include a medieval farmstead, Victorian school and working watermill as well as many rural homes, museum staff will be on hand to assist with the flow of visitors whilst also providing information about the historic buildings. “The museum will keep as many of its buildings open as possible, however the Gateway Gallery will be closed and there will be limited play items available in the family activity hubs.” Simon added: “This has been the most challenging period in the history of the Weald & Downland Living Museum, but we are thrilled to be able to reopen our extraordinary site in the coming weeks. “As a thank you for the loyalty and continued support of our valued members, we wanted to offer them an opportunity to return to the museum before we open to the public. As a charity, ticket sales and memberships are our core source of income so the support of members over the last few months has been incredibly important to us all. “Over the last few weeks our team has worked extremely hard to implement significant social distancing and safety measures to ensure the wellbeing of our visitors. We appreciate everyone’s support, understanding and patience as we adapt to our new opening arrangements and online booking process. We look forward to welcoming you all back very soon.” “The museum will continue to monitor government guidance during this time and will adapt their opening arrangements to adhere to any new requirements. Therefore please keep an eye on their website and social media channels for any further updates.” For more information and to book tickets, visit http://www.wealddown.co.uk Why running is my lockdown release Chichester Singers combine musically in isolation for beautiful video Lockdown Laughs 4 Parents switches online for comedy in your own home Why walking is what we all need at the moment - especially in glorious Sussex Shakespeare’s Globe makes productions available to watch for free during lockdown How you can still enjoy Sussex delights... from the safety of your armchair Up close but safe: enjoy collections online at Royal Pavilion & Museums in Brighton Chichester orchestra records its own lockdown song Coronavirus: top ten tips for boredom-busting during quarantine Singer and pianist Joe Stilgoe live-streams daily message of hope during the coronavirus crisis Music "more important than ever" in our time of crisis, urges West Sussex Music Coronavirus: live streaming for Sunday morning services at Chichester Cathedral Coronavirus: Festival of Chichester 2020 cancelled ************* A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. Stay safe, and best wishes. Gary Shipton Editorial Director