Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft Award winning gem of a museum focusing on the artists and craftspeople who lived in the village.

Ditchling became a centre for visual arts and crafts in the early 20th century. The museum holds a nationally important collection of works by the artists and craftsmen who were drawn to the village. Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft offers a unique environment to see the objects in the village they were made. Some of the artists associated with Ditchling and included in the Museum collection are Fr

ank Brangwyn, Eric Gill, Philip Hagreen, Edward Johnston, David Jones, Ethel Mairet and Hilary Pepler. The Museum reopened 21 September 2013 following a major refurbishment by Adam Richards Architects. A refurbished 18th Century cart lodge forms the entrance, café and shop and leads you to a beautiful new build made from engineered timber and then into the reimagined exhibition space.

09/03/2026

In 1997, Hilary Bourne and Dame Vera Lynn sat down to talk about the museum they loved.

Their conversation is full of warmth, humour and deep affection for Ditchling — including a wonderful moment recalling the famous trousers Vera wore in Burma, and the public’s fascination with them.

Hilary founded the museum with her sister Joanna in 1985, rooted in a belief that the story of the Guild and its makers mattered — and should be shared.

As we take this pause, it feels important to return to these beginnings, and to the friendships and conviction that built this place.

Film by Matt Hulse, 1997. ©️ Matt Hulse / Ditchling Museum.

12/02/2026

Half term, sorted — and our final week before a short pause.

We’re open from Tuesday next week for a creative week of family activities at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft — and it’s our last week open before our temporary closure.

🗓 Tuesday 17 – Sunday 22 February
⏰ 11am–4pm
🎟 Free with museum entry

Across the week children can:
• Make wooden spoon puppets
• Work with clay
• Try tabletop weaving
• Explore letterpress-style printing and Gelli plate prints

Drop in, get hands-on, and enjoy our family trails and activity bags around the museum.

We made a full day of it and stopped at The Nutmeg Tree Cafe for tea and cake — a cosy finish after a morning of making.

If you’ve been meaning to visit, this is the week.



10/02/2026

There’s still time to make a proper day of it.

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft is open until 22 February, before we temporarily close from the 23rd, making this the perfect moment for a cultured countryside escape.

Spend the morning wandering the museum and village, then head over to Artelium — just 9 minutes’ drive away — for lunch, a glass of English wine, and a country walk through the South Downs.

Art, landscape, good food, good wine.
A genuinely perfect day out.



Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft will temporarily close to the public from 23 February as part of a planned pause to supp...
30/01/2026

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft will temporarily close to the public from 23 February as part of a planned pause to support the museum’s long-term sustainability. The organisation remains active during this time, and we look forward to sharing updates about what comes next.
For more than 40 years, Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft has played a vital role in Sussex’s cultural story. This pause gives us the opportunity to take stock, strengthen our foundations and reimagine how the museum can thrive for future generations.
You can continue to support Ditchling by visiting us until Sunday 22 February, making a donation via our website, or shopping with us online.

The images in this carousel show woven samples by Ethel Mairet from the collection at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft.⁠⁠...
27/01/2026

The images in this carousel show woven samples by Ethel Mairet from the collection at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft.⁠
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Made as part of Mairet’s teaching practice, these samples record how she worked with colour, structure and natural dyes. They were practical pieces, used to test ideas rather than to be displayed as finished objects.⁠
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Several slides in, these working samples are translated into a contemporary scarf, developed in collaboration with Wallace Sewell. The design draws on the warm umber tones found in Mairet’s textiles, referencing colours achievable through natural dyes such as madder, walnut and alder.⁠
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The final image shows Mairet herself, whose work you can see on display in the museum as part of the current exhibition.⁠
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🧣 100% Merino lambswool⁠
📍 Available in the museum shop and online

Meet Amy Sawyer (1863–1945) — artist, maker, storyteller, and one of Ditchling’s most intriguing characters.⁠⁠Trained as...
20/01/2026

Meet Amy Sawyer (1863–1945) — artist, maker, storyteller, and one of Ditchling’s most intriguing characters.⁠
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Trained as an illustrator, Amy exhibited at the Royal Academy and Paris Salon before settling in Ditchling in the 1890s. Known for her eccentric dress and love of folk tales, fairies and witches, she lived vividly and unapologetically.⁠
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When lead poisoning damaged her hand and curtailed her painting career, Amy didn’t stop creating. She turned to teaching, writing, and making — including the beautifully patched jacket shown here, pieced together with the same ingenuity that defined her life.⁠
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Almost forgotten today, Amy’s presence still lingers in Ditchling: in objects, words, and stories shaped with wit, resilience, and imagination.⁠
⁠
In this post:⁠
• Patchwork jacket made by Amy Sawyer⁠
• Patchwork jacket made by Amy Sawyer, on display in the exhibition⁠
• Portrait of Amy Sawyer, on display in the exhibition⁠
• Photograph of Amy Sawyer⁠
⁠
📍 On display at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

This historic photograph shows the loom in use at Gospels, the home and workshop of Ethel Mairet in Ditchling. Completed...
16/01/2026

This historic photograph shows the loom in use at Gospels, the home and workshop of Ethel Mairet in Ditchling. Completed in 1921, Gospels became internationally renowned as a centre for experimentation in textile design, where Mairet lived and worked until her death in 1952.⁠
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Over more than three decades, around 130 weavers and dyers trained or worked at Gospels as Mairet’s apprentices or assistants, including Gill’s daughter Petra. Many went on to become influential figures in their own right, among them Marianne Straub and Peter Collingwood. Through her teaching, writing and workshops, Mairet introduced generations of makers — from local villagers to visiting design students — to the possibilities of working with yarns and natural dyes.⁠
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The loom remains in the museum’s care today as a working object.

16/01/2026

Jenny Kilbride explains the treadle mechanism on the loom once owned by Ethel Mairet.
The treadle is the foot-operated system that lifts and lowers the heddles, allowing pattern to emerge while both hands remain free to throw the shuttle.
On looms like this, pattern is created through rhythm and movement — a working process central to Mairet’s approach to craft.

Little Museum Visitors⁠Friday 30 January, 10:30am–12:00pm⁠⁠A playful, hands-on morning for children aged two to five, wi...
10/01/2026

Little Museum Visitors⁠
Friday 30 January, 10:30am–12:00pm⁠
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A playful, hands-on morning for children aged two to five, with time to stick, draw, tell stories and explore objects together.⁠
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Each session has a different theme, so there’s always something new to discover. Children are encouraged to take their time, follow their curiosity and get stuck in.⁠
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Sessions are devised and led by early years’ teacher Sarah Hailey-Watts, with space for one adult per child.⁠
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£9 per child, or £14 for two children.⁠
These sessions are popular, so booking ahead is recommended.⁠
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Join us and enjoy a creative morning at the museum. Link in bio.

🧵 Join us for Weaving the Downs!⁠⁠Discover the gentle rhythm of weaving in this hands-on workshop inspired by the colour...
01/12/2025

🧵 Join us for Weaving the Downs!⁠
⁠
Discover the gentle rhythm of weaving in this hands-on workshop inspired by the colours and textures of the South Downs.⁠
⁠
Using tabletop looms and a selection of naturally dyed yarns – coloured by our own garden team – you’ll learn the basics of weaving and begin to create your own small textile piece. ⁠
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We’ll start the day with a visit to our Dye Garden, where you’ll see some of the plants used to produce the hues you’ll be working with.⁠
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After lunch, we’ll spend the afternoon experimenting with different fibres, yarns and textures, allowing time to develop confidence on the loom. By the end of the day, you’ll leave with a finished woven sample. All materials included.⁠
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📅 Saturday 7 March 2026, 10:30am-4:00pm⁠
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https://www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk/event/weaving-the-downs-a-beginners-weaving-workshop-2/
⁠

🏮 Winter Solstice Lantern Making Workshop⁠⁠Come and enjoy a creative, hands-on afternoon making a winter lantern to mark...
26/11/2025

🏮 Winter Solstice Lantern Making Workshop⁠
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Come and enjoy a creative, hands-on afternoon making a winter lantern to mark the winter solstice. ⁠
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Designed especially for children aged 6 and over, this fun workshop invites little makers to craft their own lantern from scratch, decorating it with festive designs inspired by traditional winter solstice symbols.⁠
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The session ends with a special lantern parade to the front of the museum, where children will see their creations come to life by candlelight. ⁠
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Afterwards, everyone will be invited to enjoy a warming cup of hot chocolate. ⁠
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All materials will be provided. Please bring a snack and a drink.⁠
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📅 Sunday 21 December 1pm - 4:30pm.⁠
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https://www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk/event/winter-solstice-lantern-making-workshop/
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Address

Lodge Hill Lane
Ditchling
BN68SP

Telephone

+441273844744

Website

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