Groups are welcome to visit the museum at any time of the year, but please prearrange the visit with the curator. For group prices, please see Opening Times and Prices. The total group cost can be paid on the day or before by making a cheque payable to the Wye Rural Museum Trust and sending it to the curator.
How Big Can the Group Be?
A party size of 25 can be shown round comfortably. For larger parties, we show half round the barn whilst another volunteer shows the rest round the oast house. The two groups then swap over to complete the viewing of the museum.
How Long Does It Take to Go Round?
The visit starts with a brief history of the barn and then there is a tour of the bays in the barn, which are roughly set out in order of the farming year. A commentary is given on the items in the bays and depending on the questions asked, normally takes about 40 minutes. We then move to the oast house where a further commentary is given and then time is allowed for visitors to look at the varied items on the upper floor in the oast house. In all this takes about 30 minutes.
If time allows visitors can watch films which have been transferred to DVD. These include farming at Egerton in Kent in the early 1930's, a promotional Women’s Land Army film from the 1940, Open Field farming at Laxton circa 1935 and our HLI projects, the Rake Maker, the Hurdle Maker and the Basketmaker.
It is therefore best to allow at least two hours to visit the museum but shorter or longer visits can be accommodated.