Exhibition explores Sullington's ancient farmstead

Saving Sullington’s Heritage will be in the Old Workshop, following the sympathetic repair of the 16th century barn.

The opening event is on Friday, December 1, from 1pm-4pm and on December 3, from 1.30pm-4pm.

Spokeswoman Gail Kittle said: “Saving Sullington’s Heritage kicked off in July 2015 when 200 conservation volunteers, around 100 local residents and 50 historic building professionals, joined forces for the SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) annual working party at Sullington Manor Farm.

“The farm was chosen for the venue as these ancient farmstead buildings so richly represent the manorial heritage of the South Downs in Sussex. Together with the church, which is nestled among the farm buildings, the farmstead reveals construction from every century, 11th-21st: an unprecedented resource.

“The character of the ancient farmstead at Sullington is a result of diversification over hundreds of years as the balance between sheep grazing, dairy or beef farming, arable cultivation, and related activities, swung backwards and forwards depending on demand and supply.

“Old agricultural buildings are no longer suited to modern agricultural methods and traditional barns no longer meet modern regulations for harvest storage; the demand now is to use such buildings for leisure purposes. The transformation of this barn into an exhibition centre continues the historic agricultural pattern of adapting buildings for a new economic purpose. Of course, the buildings must be used or they will deteriorate and the historic fabric potentially lost forever.

“There have been just six owners of Sullington farm in the past 800 years, which means that the old buildings still exist in a relatively unchanged form. No tenant farmer wants to spend money on buildings that aren’t his and no landlord wants to spend anything that isn’t absolutely essential on a tenant farm!

“Although the farm inspires all who visit, Saving Sullington’s Heritage, supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, means that the history of the farmstead is now explained for all to see in a free-of-charge exhibition in the newly repaired barn.”

South Downs Folk Singers will perform in the afternoon on December 1.

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