Countryside Living - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 7 August 2024 Museum in the garden Discover the fascinating Rural Life Living Museum in Surrey


and travelled the world collecting tree specimens, planting examples around the cottage. Henry’s arboretum today contains over 200 trees. In 1968, Madge came across an old


HENRY AND MADGE OPENING DAY 1973


Madge and Henry Jackson married shortly aſter the end of the Second World War, and soon found a rural cottage available near Tilford, Surrey. ‘Old Kiln Cottage’ was a run-down ‘two-up two-down’ set in 10 acres of


land, with stables and outbuildings. The couple worked hard to modernise the house and diversified their income by growing Christmas trees and running a market garden. Henry went to work for Tilhill Nurseries


horse-drawn plough in woodland nearby; the couple recovered it, and the plough was painted up as a garden ornament. This was the beginning of the museum they would build in their garden. Local people began donating agricultural implements, wagons, carts and objects of everyday life that they thought the Jacksons might like. In 1973, with the help of friends, the ‘Old Kiln Agricultural Museum’ was opened to the public. The museum grew quickly, the market garden business stopped, and the garden of Old Kiln Cottage began receiving relocated historic buildings from around the area, from a prefab to a tin hut school room, cricket pavilion and timber chapel. The collection grew as well, with items being acquired from local businesses, tools and trades of a bygone age. Today, the Rural Life Living


Museum contains 20 relocated historic buildings, set within Henry’s beloved arboretum and surrounded by the West Surrey


DEEKS CYCLE SHOP, ONE OF THE RELOCATED HISTORIC BUILDINGS


National Landscape. The museum houses an outstanding collection of 40,000 objects that tell the stories of the people in the countryside from historic local industries such as hop gardens, and the local wheelwright, through to Dennis Bros of Guildford, probably one of Surrey’s best-known manufacturers. The Rural Life Living Museum


is a great day out for visitors of all ages, who are free to explore the grounds, buildings and exhibitions. Marvel at the wonder prefab with all its modern conveniences, see the blacksmith at his anvil or imagine the Victorian school teacher at the front of the class. From wagons and carts to buses, fire engines and tractors, the


museum that Madge and Henry built in their back garden, is a must visit for a day out in the beautiful Surrey countryside.


Get in touch


Visit: rural-life.org.uk T: 01252 795571


Country Sports & Days Out • 15 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE


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