Hands-on heritage returns to the Chilterns
A Buckinghamshire museum is preparing to showcase traditional making and mending skills at a two-day event later this month, with visitors invited to see craftspeople at work across historic settings. Chiltern Open Air Museum will stage its Heritage Crafts Weekend on 25–26 July, bringing together demonstrations that illuminate how everyday objects and buildings were fashioned before the machine age.
The museum’s collection of rescued and reconstructed buildings will serve as working backdrops for techniques ranging from timber work to textile production. Organisers say the aim is to bring these crafts to life for modern audiences through live demonstrations rather than static displays.
From the forge to the bodgers’ woods
Across the site, visitors will be able to observe and learn about a wide array of heritage skills. Among the activities confirmed by the museum are:
- Chair making on a pole lathe and traditional woodturning
- Rope making, spinning and natural dyeing
- Spoon carving, pottery and lacemaking
- Thatching and basket making
- Prehistoric amber jewellery crafting
- Wheelwright and blacksmithing demonstrations in the Victorian forge
- Chainmail production techniques
Heritage food preparation and crochet will feature inside several of the museum’s period interiors, while a stonemason will hand-carve an English rose. The weekend will also include explorations of 17th-century lighting and historic medicinal practices, offering a window into the health and household routines of earlier centuries.
Historic settings brought to life
Demonstrations and displays will be distributed across the museum’s outdoor spaces and notable buildings, including the High Wycombe furniture factory and the Bodgers Area – a nod to the Chilterns’ long association with woodland crafts and the region’s industrial heritage. The working environments are intended to show not only the finished objects but the tools, materials and settings that shaped them.
While the programme is broad, this is not a classroom lecture series. The emphasis is on observation and conversation with practitioners, allowing visitors to see processes at close quarters and to understand the skills, time and judgement underpinning each craft. For families and enthusiasts, it offers a practical route into understanding how the local landscape – woods, hedgerows and clay – resourced livelihoods over generations.
Planning your visit
Prospective attendees should refer to the museum’s website for the latest event details, including any schedule updates and on-the-day guidance. As with most outdoor heritage sites, programming may be subject to change. The museum advises that information and updates are available on the Chiltern Open Air Museum website.
| Dates | 25–26 July |
|---|---|
| Venue | Chiltern Open Air Museum (Buckinghamshire) |
| What to expect | Live demonstrations across historic buildings and outdoor areas |
For Buckinghamshire, events of this nature do more than entertain: they keep knowledge in circulation that once defined the county’s identity, from furniture-making to rural building crafts. As younger audiences encounter these skills and their stories, the museum is positioning the weekend as an accessible bridge between local history and present-day curiosity.
Further information, including visitor guidance and any additional activities programmed over the two days, can be found directly through the Chiltern Open Air Museum’s official channels.
