Petworth Cottage Museum
The First Twenty Years
In 2016 we were able to stage an exhibition to celebrate twenty years of the museum. Extracted from the Petworth Society's scrapbooks of cuttings, the pictures and transcripts collected here occupied three sides of the exhibition hall. Five years on we cannot stage another physical exhibition but we can show these cuttings here. Unless otherwise stated the cuttings are all from the Midhurst & Petworth Observer. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
35 Another Season at Museum 17th April 2014
Visitors to number 346, High Street, Petworth are transported into a world described as a 'little well-preserved gem'. This season which opened on April 1, marks the 19th anniversary of the Petworth Cottage Museum, the brainchild of Ann Bradley along with fellow trustee and architect Raymond Harris and current chairman Gordon Stevenson. [they mean former chairman Peter Jerrome] “We[they] wanted to show working class life and this cottage was perfect - it has never been modernised very much,” said Gordon. The cottage has been vacant since the last tenant died in 1992, and reflects the period in which former tenant Mary Cummings lived in it - 1910. The property came into the ownership of the Leconfield estate in 1854. There are no surviving descendants of Mary, except for Agnes Phelan - a close friend of her granddaughter[s], who returned to the cottage in 1997 to help the trustees in their bid to make the property as authentic as possible. Some of their home life has been documented by Petworth photographer Walter Kevis. Visitors immerse themselves in early 20th century cottage life, making their way around the rooms, under the glow of gas lights. Staffed by around 40 volunteers through its open season (April-October, Tuesday to Saturday), more than 1,000 people can pass through its doors and into the 'tardis-like' building every year, marvelling at how deceptively large it is. Day trips are catered for, as are the regular WI groups and tourists from as far afield as Germany. [not to mention Japan, Australia, China .....] On heritage open days, Gordon runs a tour around the town which can see up to 50 people in the cottage at one time. “The essence of the experience is to get totally immersed - step back in time and see a personal history, not just a cottage, but somebody's home,” said Gordon. For further information, visit the website:-
www.petworthcottagemuseum.co.uk
The museum is open 2pm-4.30pm Tuesday-Saturday.
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