Amberley Working Museum

Photo By Mark Richardson

A narrow track railway with 30 engines, period buses, a wide range of period buildings, craftspeople, and a range of collections, all set in a quarry with quarry tunnel, and other industrial history around.

Amberley Working Museum is a museum dedicated to the industrial heritage of the south-east. With everything from a print workshop and wheelwright to garages, bus and train collections. Plus special interest in aspects of the history of communications and transport.

It is set in a 36 acre, former chalk quarry, as an open air museum, next to Amberley railway station near Arundel in West Sussex.

Originally where the chalk was converted into lime for use in mortar and cement, and remaining on site are several kilns, including a De Witt set, and associated buildings including offices, bagging shed and locomotive shed.  Additional buildings have been relocated or replicated on the site and exhibition halls added. The natural history and geology of the site can be seen from a nature trail.

The Museum railway collection illustrates the history and uses of industrial railways in the British Isles. The collection comprises over 30 locomotives, with examples of steam, petrol, diesel & electric power, along with over 40 varieties of wagons and workmen's coaches. Most unusually thirteen different gauges are represented, ranging from 1'6" to 5'3" (.46 to 1.6m), Almost all the operational track is of 2'0" gauge, which became the most common gauge after the First World War. Other sections of 2'0" & 3'2.25" gauge track are also in use on site. Repair shed and more are here and on display.

Craftsmen include a blacksmith, foundryman, potters, walking stick maker and broom maker.

The museum was founded in 1979 by the Southern Industrial History Centre Trust and has previously been known as the Amberley Chalk Pits Museum or plain Amberley Museum.

There is a very wide variety of items on this one site, its not really a living or open air museum as such, but with such a wide rage of items its difficult to put it into a category.

Location: Amberley Working Museum, Amberley, Sussex Grid Reference:TQ028123 Ceremonial County: Sussex Map Link: multimap Aerial photo: multimap Getting there: Situated on the B2139 mid-way between Arundel and Storrington, adjacent to Amberley railway station. Free car parking for visitors. Access: Website: Own  Other Useful Websites: wiki Wiki Images Email: office@amberleymuseum.co.uk Address: Amberley Working Museum, Amberley, nr Arundel, West Sussex Postcode: BN18 9LT Telephone: 01798 831 370 Opening Times: From mid Feb to late Oct each year usually 10am-5:30pm but not open all Mondays and Tuesdays. See calendar from their website for dates open. Many of their calendar pages are PDF files specific to the time period. You can get to see listings of special events by month on their website. Charges: Adults £9.30; Children (5-15) £5.80 under 5 free; family 2+2 £26.50; Over 60 and students £8.30. Events at the same prices. Nearby Locations: Other Location Pages: Living History Section List of Living History Museums Living history museums introduction Notes:   CIN Page Ref: Amberley Classifications: Living History Railways Date Updated: 07/2008

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