1750年から1960年にかけてのイングランドのホームカウンティにおける田舎暮らしを懐かしむ

1750年から1960年にかけてのイングランドのホームカウンティにおける田舎暮らしを懐かしむ

The true character of Britain’s historical 
villages is fast disappearing, taking with it the authentic heart and soul of the traditional high 
street. The passion of two people and a monumental effort has pulled historic buildings, machinery, 
and objects from the brink of destruction, securing and preserving that priceless 
feeling of a simpler time in the countryside. Inside these rescued walls lies an incredible 
trove of artefacts and objects. The story of rural England is told through the displayed tools of 
lost trades, the original homeware and furniture, and the personal items that defined a bygone 
era. Join us as we explore the meticulously recreated village and farming scenes at the 
rural life living museum. We’re about to walk the cobbled path of history and experience 
the genuine heart of the home counties. Good morning, memoryseekers. I’m 
on a solo trip today. Will can’t   join us. I’m just outside Farnham 
in Surrey. It’s a very autumnal, blustery day, and I’m at the Rural 
Living Museum just outside Farnham. And we’re going to have a little look around. 30 
buildings have been saved from destruction. A bygone era of rural life in the English 
countryside. It’s not the biggest of museums, but there’ll be plenty to keep us occupied. 
So, come along and we’ll have a look around. The museum map points out key buildings 
and showcases many fascinating artefacts. A light railway run by an independent 
charity circles the museum grounds,   though it was unfortunately not operational today. So, it is very quiet here today, which is good for 
us cuz we can see up close all of the buildings. It’s £10 to get in, £13.50 with Gift Aid. And 
the information about how to find the museum and its website is on the screen right now. 
So, let’s get going and take a look around. The museum has a charming story and starts with 
a couple’s curiosity. In 1948, Madge and Henry Jackson rented this cottage, then known as The 
Reeds. They would rename it Old Kiln Cottage. Whilst out and about in Hampshire, they stumbled 
upon an old horse-drawn plough which they bought and kept as a garden ornament. That plough sparked 
an obsession. The Jacksons soon realised that the tools and buildings of previous generations were 
rapidly disappearing. They began rescuing objects from farm sales and auctions,   wagons, hand tools, 
and binders. Their collection grew so vast that Henry started relocating entire historic buildings 
from the local area. This commitment led to the formation of a charitable trust, and eventually, 
the site evolved into the rural life living museum we know today. What started with one old plough 
is now a 15-acre site holding over 40,000 objects dedicated to preserving and sharing the everyday 
life of the English countryside between 1750 and 1960 Our first building to explore is the Arcon 
prefab. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Britain faced a crisis far greater than 
national recovery alone. A devastating housing shortage. The solution? A visionary mass-produced 
home designed to last just a decade. The beloved prefab. The scale of the problem in 1945 was 
immense. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed by bombing, and years of war had meant 
zero new construction. Millions of returning service personnel needed places to live fast. 
Traditional materials like brick and skilled labour were scarce. Winston Churchill’s government 
introduced the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act in 1944, launching the temporary housing 
program. The goal was simple. Used the nation’s idle wartime factories, which had been churning 
out planes and tanks, to mass-produce ready-made homes. Between 1945 and 49, over 156,000 emergency 
factory-made homes were assembled across the country. While intended as temporary structures, 
these prefabs offered a revolutionary quality of life compared to the often damp, overcrowded slums 
they replaced. Every single-story bungalow came equipped with features considered high-end 
for the era. An indoor bathroom and toilet   and a fully fitted kitchen and included a 
refrigerator, cooker, and built-in cupboards. Designed with gardens and large windows,   these homes were airy and light, providing 
crucial breathing space for new families. Though they were supposed to be 
knocked down after 10 to 15 years,   the prefabs proved incredibly 
durable and, more importantly, incredibly popular. Their residents love the 
community spirit, the space, and the mod cons. Many prefabs stood firm for over half a 
century, surviving well into the 21st century. Today, some remaining estates have achieved 
listed status, cementing the prefab not just as a temporary solution, but as a cherished and 
vital piece of British postwar social history. In the garden, you can see how it was converted 
into a small allotment to grow vegetables. Dig for Victory was a nationwide effort to combat 
the severe food shortages caused by the war and the German U-boat blockade of merchant shipping. 
We also find a Stanton shelter manufactured by the Stanton Iron Works Company Limited. Built 
using pre-cast reinforced concrete segments, these heavy-duty arched-shaped structures were 
designed to protect people during air raids. Built to withstand blast and shrapnel, often being 
semi-sunk into the ground and covered with earth for extra protection and camouflage. After the 
war, many like this one became a garden shed. The Jackson’s private passion became a public 
attraction in 1973 when the collection was officially opened as the Old Kiln Museum. Henry’s 
yard marks the original site from which the museum developed. It was initially a Sunday-only venture 
run entirely by dedicated volunteers. In the yard, visitors can explore the Wealden Iron Furnace, 
the blacksmith’s forge, and a brewing exhibition. The Wealden blast furnace was central to the 
Wealden iron industry in Southeast England from the late 15th century until 1813. The museum 
features a half-scale working replica of a Wealden blast furnace and forge hammer, 
although it is not used to produce iron.   Visitors can sometimes see the replicas, bellows, 
and hammers in operation, driven by a water wheel, giving a strong sense of how the original 
mechanisms appeared and functioned. Henry enjoyed showcasing blacksmithing 
to the school parties in the early days,   and this continues today. The iron railings produced in 2018 are, I 
believe, replicas of the railings at St. Paul’s Cathedral. It took 5 years to completely 
enclose the cathedral in this type of railing. Behind the yard is the Tweedsmuir camp, which 
was built in 1941 by the Royal Canadian engineers on the outskirts of Thursley in Surrey. In 1945, 
the Allies placed Poland under Soviet rule. Many soldiers in the Polish Allied forces under British 
command refused to stand down. So the government invited them to settle in Britain in declassified 
bases. From 1947 to the early 1960s, the camp was transferred to the Polish resettlement corps, 
providing temporary accommodation for up to 80 Polish families, serving personnel and their 
descendants, who could not return to communist Poland, establishing a small thriving community 
until the families were resettled locally   and the camp was ultimately dismantled. This 
reconstructed barrack hut and a comprehensive exhibit featuring original artefacts ensure the 
story of this significant site remains visible. Back in Henry’s yard, this photo was interesting,   showing the old market hall in the centre 
of Farnham, probably around the late 1800s. It was pulled down in the 1930s and some 
of the original timbers make up this barn. Two significant factors dictated the brewing 
economy of the rural home counties. Proximity to London and the specialisation in hops. 
Kent was the primary hop-growing region, supplying large commercial breweries that served 
the metropolis and leaving its mark with numerous oast houses. Cider, now limited to a few key areas, 
was once made in farms up and down the country, forming part of a labourer’s wages. Often, 
travelling cider presses were employed at harvest. This is Henry’s original donation box 
when the museum opened. I’m going to   guess that this outhouse was the first 
to be dressed as rooms using artefacts and objects that Henry and Madge 
had collected in the early years. Let’s pop up onto the station. As I mentioned earlier, it is 
run by a separate charity and when it operates, it relies on donations 
for the rides and the running costs. There are three stations. This is Mills Wood,   right next to the mini arborium with 
over 130 trees from around the world. Reed’s Road, which we saw at the beginning by the 
car park, was named after the original cottage. And in the middle is Oatlands, for which I 
could not find the reason for its naming. Oh, well, we can’t get in the waiting room to have 
a look at the information on the light railway. This very sweet early car-towed 10-ft 
caravan made by Angela Caravan Company was recovered from a Welsh farm in a 
derelict state and restored in the 1990s. Smudger’s Holiday Letter Shed traces 
its origins back to Boxhill Surrey,   where it initially served a practical purpose, 
storing camping equipment. Following the conclusion of World War I, widespread financial 
and social constraints prevented many citizens from taking traditional holidays. This led to 
the growth of temporary recreational camps in accessible areas around the capital with Boxhill 
amongst the most popular destinations. Commuters travelling by bus often struggled to carry their 
extensive camping gear up the hill. Consequently, the site’s proprietors conceived and erected a 
simple hut to store the equipment locally. This facility proved unexpectedly popular, leading the 
owner to recognise its potential as accommodation. He subsequently converted the storage 
structure into a dedicated holiday chalet,   an innovation widely regarded as pioneering 
the concept of short-stay cabin rentals in the region. In 2005, the park wanted to redevelop, 
and the shed chalet was offered to the museum, where it was restored and 
is now proudly on display. Also in this area are examples of different 
styles of gypsy wagons, which were first seen   in the area at the 1850 Epsom Derby. Many of 
which were elaborately carved and painted. This is the living van, which was built 
on a 1920 AEC YT type army chassis and built in Andover. It was used as temporary 
accommodation on a working site. So the unit was towed from place to place and provided 
the workman with somewhere to stay on site. This structure is an 18th-century granary serves 
the essential function of storing threshed grain. It was saved from demolition and 
relocated from Borellis Yard in Farnham in 1985. Granaries of this type were 
typically constructed atop staddle stones,   distinctive mushroom-shaped supports 
explicitly designed to prevent rodents, particularly mice, from accessing 
the valuable grain store. A unique feature of the front elevation 
is its use of the mathematical tiles,   sometimes called poor man’s bricks. They were flat clay tiles applied to mimic the 
appearance of brickwork employed to circumvent the brick tax. King George III instituted this 
unpopular tax to help finance the costly war in the American colonies, making these tiles an 
ingenious form of architectural tax evasion. The wagon shed showcases many different types of   carts and wagons used within 
the agricultural industry. The shepherd’s hut was saved from a 
Basingstoke garden, which had been used   as a garden shed for 25 years. Huts like 
these were lived in by shepherds during the lambing season. The gun might have 
been used against foxes or dog attacks. One section of the Churt building 
houses an exhibition dedicated to   sheep herding. This displays the tools, 
techniques, and equipment crucial to the industry when sheep farming was a 
major part of the local rural economy. The other half of the church building is set 
up as a traditional woodturning workshop,   which sometimes hosts demonstrations. The company J Gibbs Limited was a significant   agricultural machinery dealer and engineer 
operating in the Surrey-Hampshire area for many decades. They were a major supplier of 
farming equipment, tractors and machinery. Gibbs would have been the essential supplier 
and service provider for nearly every local   farmer whose tools and equipment are 
now part of the museum’s collection. Next, we moved to the Tilford building, 
named after the museum’s home village. This was one of my favourite areas, 
featuring thousands of artefacts, machinery,   and recreations of village shops from across 
the county, even this egg-dispensing machine. There were many different tradesmen’s carts on 
display. I liked the knife grinders’ barrow, a portable foot-powered workshop 
used to sharpen knives, scissors,   and other bladed tools directly for customers on 
the street. This mobile service was a common sight in urban and rural areas before widespread 
domestic sharpening tools became available. Tily & Brown were a well-established firm that 
carried out general construction and decorating work across the local towns and villages 
based in Godalming. Whilst I couldn’t confirm it,  I believe they were hired by the Jacksons to help with 
the challenging work of dismantling, moving,   and reconstructing many of the historic buildings 
that make up the museum’s collection today. This is a recreation of a boot and shoe repairer. 
The cobbler was important to the local community as new boots and shoes, whether handmade or 
early factory-made, were relatively expensive   compared to the working-class wages. 
Having them repaired was significantly more economical than replacement, ensuring 
people could afford essential foot protection. The 19th century chemist shop was a vital 
and versatile hub, primarily focused on compounding and dispensing medicines according 
to prescriptions, but also serving as the primary retail source for popular, often unregulated 
patent medicines and a vast array of household chemicals like dyes, poisons, perfumes, and 
toiletries. Crucially, due to their expertise in chemicals and their stock, they became 
the essential supplier for light sensitive   chemicals required for early photography and 
subsequently offered crucial film developing and printing services as amateur photography 
became widespread later in the century. The windows for the baker’s display 
came from Castle Street in Farnham. Inside are further windows from Worsam’s 
Bakers, which served Farnham for over 200 years. For the working classes, 
especially the rural poor,   bread was the single most important and 
affordable source of calories and sustenance, often making up the bulk of all the meals. 
An average family could consume over 50 pounds of bread per week. The constant high 
demand for bread made the village baker an   essential economic fixture whose goods were 
needed daily, unlike most other trades. Next is a draper store, a merchant 
specialising in the sale of cloth,   fabrics, and textiles, particularly those 
intended for the manufacture of clothing. Operating from the medieval 
era well into the 19th century,   drapers were crucial retailers who sold materials 
by the yard, such as wool, linen, and cotton, to individuals who would then employ a tailor 
or seamstress to create custom-made garments,   as mass-produced, ready-to-wear clothing was 
not yet everyday. Their shops also typically stocked related items like thread, ribbons, and 
trimmings, making the draper an essential figure in the pre-industrial local economy for anyone 
needing the raw materials for dress-making. The Sands is a small village in Surrey, and 
this reconstructed store opened in 1915 by Edward Whittpn and his wife, Lotti. It sold basic 
groceries, general provisions and paraffin. It’s noted that the shop was decorated in 
1953 for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. 1964 saw the opening of the 
post office and a letter box. And as the decades progressed, they offered 
dry cleaning, photocopying, and sold alcohol. It closed down in 2006. The laundry display showcases a vast collection of 
aids to help with washing over the last 100 years. A wheelwright was a skilled 
craftsman who specialised   in building and repairing wooden 
wheels for carts, wagons, coaches, and other vehicles. Their work required 
expertise in selecting and shaping various   types of wood for the various parts of the 
wheel, such as the hub, spokes, and felloes, and often working closely with a blacksmith 
who would fit the final protective iron tyre. The dairy display highlights artefacts 
specifically from Clifford Dairies,   founded by William Clifford at Tithe Barn, Wittton 
in 1874. Starting with just two cows, he delivered milk to the local villages. The business went from 
strength to strength with 70 cows by 1907. And his sons followed in his father’s footsteps, 
taking over the business. 100 years later, 55,000 gallons of milk were produced a day 
with deliveries to eight counties. Eventually,  the business was sold to Unigate and then 
Dairy Crest, which lasted until 2014. Wakefield’s Butchers was a long-established 
traditional butcher shop in Farnham, Surrey,   well known locally for many years. Whilst it 
no longer operates under the Wakefield’s name, these types of family-run butchers were once 
a cornerstone of the town’s high street and   local economy, serving the community with fresh 
local meat before the dominance of supermarkets. Originally, horse-drawn but 
later tractor-driven ploughs   were used to prepare the soil for planting. 
Designs vary for different types of soil, leading to regional variations. It is possible 
to see early wooden ploughs as well as more modern metal ploughs from different regions 
within the southeast in the plough gallery. The Weybourne Laundry arrived 
in 2006, a gift from Mrs Cate, whose family ran a backstreet 
laundry washing for the army.   When the army arrived in Aldershot, many women 
obtained small contracts with the War Office. This small patch was a market garden set 
up by the Jacksons when money was tight,   and it wasn’t enough to sustain them. They 
managed to sell produce to two stores in Farnham, and people would also come straight off 
the roadside to buy and support them. The brick carver and hand tool display highlights 
a particularly popular craft in England during the late 17th and early 18th century, when 
it was used to create highly elaborate   and decorative ornaments on brick facades, 
fireplace surrounds, cornices and pediments, offering an alternative to stone carving. This 
is the bricklayers’ and tilers’ coat of arms. The Frensham building holds a collection of 
motorised vehicles by the manufacturer Dennis, which specialised in municipal vehicles, 
buses and most famously fire engines. Their primary manufacturing plant 
was the Woodbridge Works in Guilford   and later the Slyfield Industrial Estate. They were a major producer of bus chassis, 
including famous models like the Dart seen here and the Trident, which were familiar 
sites in London and other major cities. This Farnham bus is a Lancet 
built in 1932 in Guildford. This building was originally the Shere village 
hall which is currently closed for a repaint. The Eashing Chapel originated in 1857 when a 
group of residents in the village of Eashing near Godalming, Surrey, split from the central 
congregational church. Following this alienation, they commissioned and erected a 
pre-fabricated church on property   owned by the local Eashing paper mill proprietor. This structure served the group by holding 
independent religious services until 1870   when the Eashing Chapel community reconciled and 
reunited with the main congregational church body. Following the end of its religious use, 
the chapel structure was physically   relocated around 1950 to the other side 
of the River Wey. Following this move, the building had a varied and rather curious 
history with historical references indicating   that its use evolved dramatically, including 
stints as a library, a timber store, and even a chicken coup before it was eventually 
rescued and preserved at the museum. The Cricket Pavilion was another building 
that I took a particular shine to. What   is your favourite building from the video? 
Do let us know in the comments at the end. The pavilion originated as a thatched building 
erected in 1883 at the Hollaway Hill Recreation Ground in Godalming. Its exact age was confirmed 
during its dismantling when workers discovered graffiti left by one of the original builders. The 
structure was notably robust, having to carry the substantial weight of the scorer’s loft, which was 
uniquely designed to be accessible only by ladder. On match days, two chaps would climb the ladder to 
take down the scores. This pavilion was the social heart of the cricket ground, providing essential 
services such as changing facilities for players, shelter for spectators, storage for central gear, 
and a space for traditional teas and critical team discussions. There is also an exhibition of 
artefacts from the Brightwell Bowling Club. The smock frock was a distinctive loose-fitting 
outer garment or overshirt worn by male farm labourers, shepherds, and carters, particularly 
from the mid-18th century through to the late 19th century. The primary use of the smock was 
protection. It was worn over the workers’ regular clothes to shield them from dirt, dust, and straw, 
and the general grime of agricultural labour. Essentially acting as a washable overall. The 
technique of smocking, gathering the fabric, and securing it with dense embroidery stitches was 
crucial to the design. This allowed the material to stretch and spring back, providing the labourer 
with a full range of motion necessary for physical farmwork. As mass-produced, durable and cheaper 
factory clothing became available towards the end   of the 19th century, the handmade smock gradually 
fell out of everyday use among farm workers. Madge’s Wagon Shed references Mrs. 
Madge Jackson and is a unique structure on the museum site built by one of the 
dedicated volunteers.    Inside, visitors can view artefacts relating to hop cultivation, 
reflecting the importance of hop growing in the local Surrey and Hampshire countryside. 
  Farnham was an important though smaller  hop-growing centre renowned for the quality 
of its hops in the 17th and 18th centuries. The school room is a fascinating building that 
was initially put up in 1900 in the Bourne, a suburb of Farnham. It’s a great example of those   sectional buildings made of corrugated 
iron that were common back then. It probably arrived by train and was then 
assembled on the school grounds. Later, they added a small lean-to extension. It was actually used for years until 
the big hurricane hit in 1987, which was so strong that it actually 
twisted the whole structure. Henry Jackson attended the Bourne school as 
a boy. So it is poetic that it ended up here. The Frimley Green Cycle Workshop is a charming 
exhibit that preserves a vital piece of local commerce. Originally located in the village 
of Frimley Green in Surrey, this structure was once a thriving local business essential 
to the community’s mobility. Before cars became commonplace, the bicycle was the primary mode of 
transport for many rural residents. This workshop provided crucial services, repairing, maintaining, 
and selling new bicycles, parts, and accessories. Like many small specialised rural businesses, 
this workshop supported the local infrastructure and allowed people to move freely in 
areas without robust public transport. The business later expanded to include a 
garage and was the first business in the   area to sell petrol. The building was carefully 
dismantled and reconstructed at the museum, where it is now set up as this detailed 
display showing the benches, tools,   and spare parts a cycle engineer would have 
used during the first half of the 20th century, allowing visitors to glimpse the working 
life of a traditional village tradesman. Well, that’s the end of the tour here 
at the Rural Life Living Museum.    It’s been absolutely fantastic. What a day I’ve 
had here. Really surpassed my expectations, and I think it’s very underrated. So, if you’re 
in Farnham, please do come and visit. They could   do with the support, I’m sure. And check out 
their website for events that are happening. There are lots of things always going on. 
If you like other rural living museums,   then check out our playlist. We’ve 
been to Beamish, Weald & Downland, and lots of other places, too. So, check the 
playlist out. Do subscribe. Join us again, and we’ll see you on another video very 
soon. Thanks for watching. Bye-bye.

Today, we’re taking you on an incredible journey through the Rural Life Living Museum in Tilford, Surrey. This place isn’t just a museum; it’s a vibrant, breathing testament to the history of the south-east of England’s countryside. The museum beautifully preserves the character and essence of Rural Life from 1750 to 1960, showcasing how communities thrived, worked, and played across 40 acres of fields and woodlands. This is a genuine, hands-on experience of past daily routines and traditions. Get ready to be charmed by the authentic sights and sounds of historic Rural Life!

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The Rural Life Living Museum is an absolute historical treasure, established with the crucial mission of preserving buildings and artefacts that define the region’s vanishing heritage. It’s a real historic village—a collection of over 30 meticulously relocated historic buildings, each saved, dismantled, and re-erected brick-by-brick on this beautiful site.

The historical significance lies in its focus on the ordinary people and the everyday items that shaped their existence. You’ll walk into a late Victorian schoolroom, see a shepherd’s hut, wander through a historic ironmonger’s shop, and inspect a wheelwright’s workshop—all authentic buildings serving as powerful physical reminders of the past. The museum tells the essential story of the farmers, the craftspeople, and the families who were the true backbone of the nation, providing an unparalleled insight into the transition from a purely agrarian society to the mechanised world of the mid-20th century. This commitment to authenticity makes the museum a vital educational resource.

On event days, historical interpreters, craftspeople, and volunteers bring the buildings to life. You might see a blacksmith at work or farmers tending traditional animals, allowing you to truly feel the atmosphere of historic Rural Life.
The collection of unique buildings (like the Ironmonger’s Shop and the Victorian Schoolroom) is stunning and encourages hands-on exploration.
Set within the beautiful Surrey countryside, the 15-acre site encourages a peaceful, reflective walk.

The Rural Life Living Museum is where you can connect with your past, appreciate the resilience of previous generations, and gain a profound understanding of the forces that shaped modern Britain.

For more information on visiting https://rural-life.org.uk/

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00:00 Introduction
01:01 Getting to the Museum
02:22 Story of the Museum
03:31 Arcon Prefab
06:52 Henry’s Yard Blast furnace
08:55 Tweedsmuir Camp
09:59 Henry’s Yard Exhibits
12:12 Old Kiln Light Railway
13:38 Caravan
14:14 Smudgers Holiday Let
15:27 Gypsie Wagons
16:06 The Living Van
16:48 Granary
17:59 The Wagon Shed
18:42 Shepherds Hut
19:04 Churt Building
19:59 Tilford Building Village Shops Exhibit
28:16 Plough Gallery
28:50 Weybourne Laundry
30:07 Frensham Building Dennis Motor Exhibits
31:43 Eashing Chapel
33:06 The Pavillion
34:24 Smock Frock – Smocking
35:20 Madges Wagon Shed
35:47 School Room
37:03 The Frimley Green Cycle Shop

#livingmuseum #visitsurrey #rurallife