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Craftspeople
Amberley
is home to a number of resident
craftspeople, who work to
traditional methods.
They include a Potter, Blacksmith,
Foundryman, Broom Maker, and
Walkingstick Maker.
 As
craftspeople and
independent business people,
they are committed to
promoting their bygone
skills to the general
public. |
 The
Museum is also home to a
number of volunteer
craftspeople, including the Wheelwrights,
Woodturners, Bodgers
and those in the Print
Workshop. Many of these
people have developed their
skills through a lifetime in
the trade or through many
years of dedication. |
Transport
To ensure our visitors can
make good use of our 36 acre site
during their visit, free transport
is provided around site via a
vintage bus service or a narrow
gauge railway service. This
in conjunction with our numerous
transport-themed exhibits and
buildings provides a suitably
memorable experience.
 The
Southdown Bus Collection at
Amberley celebrates
the first dominant local bus
company in Sussex through a
breathtaking collection of
restored vintage buses,
numerous replica buildings
and displays. |
 The
Museum is home to a large
collection of narrow-gauge
railway locomotives,
rolling stock and
other equipment, plus an
extensive track network
across the 36 acre site.
For more information
visit:
Amberleynarrowgauge.co.uk |
 Other
transport related areas
around the Museum include
the award winning Village
Garage - a replica
of a 1930s rural garage, the
Fairmile Cafe (a transport cafe
relocated to the Museum),
plus the vehicle collection
of the Connected Earth
telecommunications hall. |
Exhibitions
Throughout the Museum's
grounds can be found a number of
exhibition areas. These
cover, through displays, exhibits
and hand-on activities, topics
ranging from the generation of
electricity to a war-time wireless.
 Connected
Earth is a project
founded by BT to
safeguard its unique
heritage of
telecommunications
artefacts, dating back to
the earliest days of
telegraphy. The
flagship collection at
Amberley focuses on the
"public face" of
telecommunications using
rare exhibits and hands-on
displays. |
 The
Energy Electricity Hall
comprises a fascinating
variety of electrical
equipment, ranging
from heavy engineering plant
for the mains supply system
to small domestic
appliances. For academics,
there is an extensive
library of reference and
archival material
(by appointment only). |
 The
Paviors' Museum of Roads and Roadmaking, developed with
the Worshipful Company of
Paviors, tells the
story of road construction
from the earliest times
to the present day, through
impressive exhibits and
displays. |
 The
Vintage Wireless Exhibition
includes telegraph, radio
and telephone equipment and
clandestine sets from World
War II. A wide variety of
television sets are on
display, with early
television sets demonstrated
from time to time. |
 The
Print Workshop
provides a display of
printing machinery and
artefacts, most of which is
operational. Numerous
displays are on show, and
the workshop is frequently
active thanks to the
volunteers who staff it. |
 The
Tools & Trades History
Society (TATHS)
exists to further the
knowledge and understanding
of hand tools and the people
who used them. Their
displays contain a range of
different tools for working
in a wide variety of
materials including wood,
metal, leather and stone. |
 The
Railway Exhibition and
Conservation Hall,
part of Amberley's narrow
gauge collection, includes a
working area for restoration
of the rail artefacts. |
 The
Brickyard Drying Shed,
a 19th century building
relocated to Amberley,
houses an exhibition on the
local brick-making industry
of the area, with a fine
collection of finished
bricks from local yards. |
Architecture
Amberley is home to a number
of important architectural
structures, some initially
built on site and others carefully
dismantled from elsewhere and
rebuilt at Amberley.
Some of these include:
 The
De Witt Kilns,
built around 1905, is but
one example of lime burning
kilns on site. The building
is a Scheduled
Ancient Monument (the
highest level of protection
available to a structure in
the UK). |
 The
Municipal Engine House
is a relocated building that
stood in a council depot at
Littlehampton from the early
20th century, forming part
of the local sewerage
system. It houses a number
of working stationary
engines. |
 The Fairmile
Café, was built
circa 1939 on the orders of
the Earl of Hardwicke at
Fairmile Bottom, just north
of Arundel. An important
example of early motoring
architecture, it was
relocated to Amberley in
2002. |
Nature
After over a century's use
as a chalk quarry, Amberley's 36
acre grounds have long since been
beautifully reclaimed by nature.
Not only in the heart of
the South Downs National Park, the Museum is home
to its own distinctive ecological
world.
 The
Museum is home to a wide
range of orchids and flowers,
such as the fly orchid
pictured, which can be seen
in bloom at various stages
through the season. |
 Amberley
has a number of nature
trails on site,
providing visitors with the
opportunity to immerse
themselves in a wonderful,
natural environment. |
Amenities
As well as providing a
wonderful environment for the whole
family to enjoy, we also
provide a number of services to
ensure the day is one to remember.
 The Limeburners
Restaurant is
licensed for up to 200
people and built to the
style of a Sussex barn.
The restaurant is able to
provide everything from a
hot drink to a substantial meal
for an individual or for
group bookings. It provides
an ideal way to relax and
enjoy Amberley's
ambience. |
 Our
Gift Shop contains
a wide range of books,
children's toys, local
produce and many other items
- ideal either as a gift or
momento of Amberley. |
 A
number of benches and picnic
areas can be found
across site - they provide
the ideal opportunity to
enjoy the calm surroundings
of the Museum for a family
picnic. |
 Dogs
are welcome at Amberley,
provided they are kept on a
lead at all times.
Please ensure that you clear
up after your dog too. |
 All
exhibit areas at Amberley
are accessible by wheelchair
or pushchair, with
the exception of the nature
trails and the vintage bus
service. Upon request, before
visiting, a
wheelchair-accessible
railway coach can also be
prepared. |
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