Weald & Downland Living Museum offer money saving and sustainability tips from the past

Patch it, fix it, reuse it and get the most out of it! This is how rural communities once lived to survive, and there is lots we can learn from them today to not only reduce waste but also save money and become more sustainable.

The Weald & Downland Living Museum in Singleton will be hosting a special Get Thrifty Weekend on 25 – 26 March 2023 to showcase historic methods of upcycling, repurposing and generally being more resourceful.

Visitors can discover how our ancestors found a use for everything, from leftover food that made new meals to scrap bits of clothing that were used to create rag rugs for the home.

Throughout the weekend there will be demonstrations, interactive activities and displays that will appeal to the whole family, including a Make Do and Mend stall, foraging tips, cooking demonstrations in the Tudor Kitchen and a chance to meet the fripperer to try on clothes at the medieval second-hand Market Hall.

Blacksmith at work at the Weald & Downland Living Museum

With six historic gardens on site, the Garden Team will be giving advice on growing plants and flowers from seed and revealing their surprising uses around the home, as well as showing how to create flower displays using recycled materials.

The Museum’s blacksmiths will be running demos in the forge over the weekend. The original upcyclers, visitors can watch as they repair items and recycle materials.

For anyone with old tools at home that are no longer used, these can be donated to the Tools for Self Reliance stand where there will also be second hand tools available to purchase. Tools for Self Reliance is a charity that offers practical support to rural tradespeople in some of the poorest parts of the world. Providing the vocational skills and business training needed to help them earn a livelihood, and equipping them with the tools to get started.

Deborah Hodson, Head of Learning at the Museum, said: “We are very excited to be hosting this special weekend to highlight how extraordinarily resourceful our ancestors once were and to show that we can learn from the past to be much more thrifty in our own lives today. We are delighted to welcome Tools for Self Reliance here to help support the wonderful work they do for rural tradespeople in developing countries. As a Museum dedicated to telling the stories of the past and preserving historic trades and crafts, we’ve got lots taking place for people to explore and experience.”

The Weald & Downland Living Museum is home to over 50 historic buildings spanning over 600 years. Across the 40-acre site, the Museum tells the stories of those who lived and worked in rural South East England over 1000 years ago.To find out more and book tickets visit wealddown.co.uk