Buildings in Storage: Little Gaddesden Living Van
The Little Gaddesden Living Van is a rare survival of mobile rural accommodation, believed to have housed a gamekeeper, possibly on the Ashridge Estate. Dismantled and saved in 2001, this substantial timber van offers insight into estate life, seasonal labour and the practical realities of countryside employment in Hertfordshire. Now in store at Chiltern Open Air Museum, it represents an often overlooked but important part of rural heritage.
Buildings in Storage: Jackson Studios
Jackson Studios, the birthplace of many iconic British sounds including Motorhead’s Ace of Spades, is currently in storage at Chiltern Open Air Museum.
Traditional Chilterns Sheep Folding
In the idyllic landscapes of the Chilterns, farmers once employed a distinctive method known as sheep folding. This ingenious practice involved herding sheep into movable temporary pens called folds, and it was particularly effective on poor soils prevalent in the region.
Traditional Chilterns Lambing Fold
A lambing fold is a traditional shelter or pen specifically designed for the lambing season. This practice, rooted in agricultural history, involves creating a space where ewes can give birth and care for their new-born lambs.
Wassailing Through History: A Gift to Bring Good Harvests
Wassailing is an Anglo-Saxon tradition. On January 5th, the Twelfth Night, people would gather to take part. The landowner greeted the guests with the toast waes hael, meaning be well. He then passed around the wassail drink for everyone to have some.
A Victorian Christmas: How Did They Celebrate the Festive Season?
Christmas in the Victorian era started to become a time for family celebrations rather than the large gatherings enjoyed during the Georgian era. We find out how they celebrated.
Christmas in the 1940s: How Did Wartime Families Celebrate the Festive Season?
We discover how families celebrated Christmas in the 1940s - why turkey wasn’t on the menu and what home-made gifts would be under the tree.
Who were the Suffragists and Suffragettes?
Women’s suffrage societies that campaigned for the right to vote began to appear in Britain in the middle of the 19th century. Their members called Suffragists believed in peaceful, constitutional ways to promote votes for women.
The life of country children
Country life for working families before the early 20th century was not at all as some popular paintings portray – roses around a cottage door, and happy and healthy children playing in a well-cared for garden. We discover how country children lived in the past.
What were the Swing Riots?
Find out about The Labourers’ Revolt, commonly known as Swing Riots, which was mainly rooted in the poor living standards and impoverishment of agricultural workers for more than fifty years.
Children's Games
Do children play games just to pass the time or do they have another significance?
1950s Doll House Restoration Project
Dive into the process of bringing a 1950s Doll House back to life. Join us on this journey of craftsmanship and preservation.
The History of the Glory Mill
At the far end of the museum site is a rescued and reconstructed building that was once part of Glory Mill, a paper-making factory that was in Wooburn Green, High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.
The History of Leagrave Cottages
Discover the history of the thatched Leagrave Cottages which stand proudly on the villlage green at the museum.
Henton Mission Room - the Iron Building
Discover the fascinating stories of “Iron Buildings” like our Henton Mission Room.
The History of Our Toll House
Explore why there was a need for so many toll houses in Victorian Britain, how families lived in them, and the heritage of the toll house at the museum.
Horse Gin and Cherry Ladder
Discover the unusual objects inside our Hill Farm Barn and their links to the history of farming in the Chilterns.
Finding Us
Newland Park, Gorelands Lane
Chalfont St Peter HP8 4AB