As the sunny season slowly-but-surely clambers its way onto the horizon, we Londoners are beginning to jam-pack our diaries with all sorts of summery shenanigans. And seeing as the weather in the capital city doesn’t tend to cooperate for very long; the moment the sun does decide to put its hat on, you can rest assured that we city-dwellers will be making the most of it. If we’re hungry, we’ll be picnic-ing in the park. If we’re thirsty, you’ll find us in a beer garden. And if we’re in need a bit of culture? Well, this incredible open-air museum near London has got us (metaphorically) covered.
Chiltern Open Air Museum
Chiltern Open Air Museum is a unique outdoor museum, home to a rather impressive collection of historic buildings. Set up by a group of volunteers from the Chiltern Society in 1976 and opened to the public in 1981; the museum is a charity that rescues threatened historic buildings, saving them from demolition, and rebuilding and lovingly-preserving them within the landscaped 45-acre site in the middle of the Chilterns.
The buildings in question were once the workplaces and homes of ordinary people, and many of them have been decked out to give visitors a taste of what they would have looked like in the past. This real life time capsule is fascinating to wander around, featuring buildings including a 1940s prefab, a tin chapel, Nissen war huts, a Victorian tollhouse, a blacksmith’s forge, and even a historic working farm.
As you explore the gorgeous grounds, you’ll also come across the likes of picture-perfect cottage gardens, a Victorian fernery, and apple and cherry orchards. With plenty of interactive events taking place at the museum across the season, visitors can get stuck in to a game of Victorian hoops, watch a historic reenactment, or enjoy the family-friendly activities. There’s also an on-site tearoom that serves light bites and a museum shop, selling local produce and plenty of products that have been made right there on the museum grounds.
Being as gasp-inducingly good-looking as the open air museum is, it’ll come as no surprise that the site boasts a rather impressive acting CV, too. The museum has been seen on screen in the likes of Midsomer Murders, Downtown Abbey, Call the Midwife, Horrible Histories, and Taskmaster – just to name a few.
Getting to Chiltern Open Air Museum from London
Chiltern Open Air Museum is approximately an hour’s drive from central London, and there’s a large car park on site. Non-drivers can hop on the Metropolitan Line to Chalfont & Latimer and then take an onwards local bus from there.
Chiltern Open Air Museum is open on Fridays to Mondays from 10am-5pm from now until October 29. Find out more and plan your visit here.
