We're looking forward to a year of celebrations with our fellow heritage railways for Railway200
We'll be sounding the whistles of our narrow-gauge locos in celebration of this historic standard-gauge anniversary at events throughout 2025!
Here's a throwback from 2015 showing Brockham Station with ‘Polar Bear’ on Passenger duty waiting to depart for Amberley and ‘Peter’ offering experience rides.
#Railway200 #NewYear #2025 #heritage #railway #steam #history
The Stubborn Willow Tree
John Harraway and his Coppice management team must on occasion remove a tree because of disease – this willow had a 4-inch hole running vertically through the trunk – they had to remove some of the hedging that they had already constructed in order to allow for its fall as well as close one of the internal roads. Safety being paramount, as you can see and hear, even with modern cutting equipment, some trees take a while to fall…this one did eventually!
Back by popular demand! Today, you can have a go at the traditional craft of woodturning with the West Sussex Woodturners and take home a small wooden keepsake (£1.50 charge per person).
Our woodturners are always demonstrating their skills at Amberley. Here they are using a piece of yew to make a beautiful wooden pot and lid. One of our volunteers is working on the lid, using the lathe and various chisels to shape the wood and create a handle for the lid, using sandpaper to smooth and shine the finished product.
Always friendly, always explaining, their demonstrations are one of the many highlights of a visit to Amberley.
#Woodturning #woodturninguk #getinvolved #familyfun #familytime #amberleymuseum
Always wanted to see your child’s name in print? Well, it’s child’s play if you visit our print shop at Amberley. See Stuart or one of our other volunteers and use one of our smallest printers to print your child’s name and they can even help him finish the job!
👻 Book Your Tickets and make memories with us this half-term!
https://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/whats-on/october-half-term/
#halfterm #HalfTermActivities #HalfTermFun #autumn #autumnvibes #Halloween #spookyseason #FamilyFun #familytime #dayout
Ever had that feeling that your working day was a bit of a grind? Well at least these grinders gave you a bit of a work out too!
First up is our 1940s 'sit on' peddle powered grinding machine, ably demonstrated by one of our volunteers, Simon. This has two wheels, one for fine and one for course grinding metals.
Secondly, the 1930s Governor No. 1 treadle grinder has a single wheel for fine grinding, operated by a foot pump action. It was suitable for all classes of tool and general grinding. It used a ratchet action provided by a bicycle free wheel and roller chain, operated direct from the treadle which slides up and down the main column, a keyway being cut in the latter to prevent swing. The original grinders were finished in black and red enamel, with the manufacturer’s promise that you get ,silent grinding with the Governor.
Come and see them at our TATHS exhibition – that’s the Tools and Trades History Society buildings. #tools #toolsofthetrade #tradional #tradition #industrial #industry
No. 9 Universal milling machine
Tim Mountain and his team of volunteers run the machine shop at Amberley Museum. It’s a bit like going back into your metalworking class at school.
Tim introduced us to the delights of this No. 9 Universal milling machine; it was probably built around 1905 and is using a rotary milling cutter in this case to produce a flat surface on a piece of aluminium which is being repurposed for use as a guard on another machine in in the workshop.
In milling of this type, the cutting action occurs primarily at the end corners of the milling cutter, which is why you can see the face of the aluminium change as the cutter moves over it.
The milling machine is belt driven – now from an electrical source though it could have been powered by a water wheel in its original form.
Tim and his team do lots of work for the museum and its various exhibits so visit them in the machine shop and see a practical demonstration of their skills.
#machineshop #metalwork #metal #engineering #craft #tradition #industry #history
The replica Worthing Tramocar had it's first day out since it's restoration, at our Autumn Bus Show yesterday!
It's a really unusual way of driving, being operated by levers either side of the driver's seat.
#AutumnBusShow #WorthingTramocar #Bus #FamilyFun #autumnvibes
1929 Robey Engine
Have you heard the rock steady beat of our Robey Engine in the Municipal Engine House? Well, if you haven’t, it’s quite something to see and hear.
This oil engine was bought in 1929 from Robey & Co of Lincoln for use in Littlehampton as a sewage pump. It’s a horizontal cylinder engine started using compressed air, water cooled via an external water tank. Producing 35hp, it supplied high pressure air to an air injector which raised the sewerage for discharge into the sea (an old habit, it would seem).
Look out for the Robey lubricator, a level gauge and a set of glass tubes with a fine wire up the centre. The pump forces a drop of oil into the water and, as oil floats on water, this slides up the wire to the top for use by the engine and the water remains in the glass tube. Clever, eh.
#engineering #engine #industry #history
Heidelberg Platen Press | Print Shop
Our original Heidelberg Platen Press is often referred to as the Heidelberg Windmill because of its unique paper feed system. There are two blades that rotate, picking up a sheet of paper, moving it to the platen for printing, and then taking it to the delivery rack, where the printed paper is released.
These printing presses were introduced in 1914 and manufactured between 1923 and 1985. This example is a comparative baby, dating from the 1950’s and used in Billingshurst until donated to the museum.
It is still working today and you can see Peter Scarratt and his colleagues using it regularly to print a variety of things used around our site - on this occasion, our bus tickets.
The Print Shop is well worth a visit for the fascinating and fun demonstrations that can be seen.
#printing #printshop #printshoplife #vintagestyle #vintage #traditional
Resident Stonemason | Cliff Palmer
Here’s a man who has managed to carve out a career – our resident stonemason, Cliff Palmer, hard at work on his latest creation, the iconic Welsh dragon.
Having spent most of his working life honing his skills as a monumental mason, Cliff has been working at Amberley museum for the last 12 years, delighting visitors of all ages with the quality of his work and the warmth of his personality.
Visit him with the rest of our fine craftspeople in the Greenwood Village for some great demonstrations of our traditional crafts.
#traditional #stonemasonry #stonemason #crafting #welshdragon #traditionalcrafts #craftmanship
We are having a great day so far at our #nature festival!
Great display from HawkingAbout still tike to catch them at 1.30 and 3pm today!
#amberley #museum #notjustamuseum