Chiltern Open Air Museum

Newland Park
Gorelands Lane
Chalfont St Giles
Buckinghamshire
HP8 4AB
England

Website

www.coam.org.uk

E-mail

General enquiries

enquires@coam.org.uk

Telephone

Office

01494 871117

Education

01494 875542

Fax

01494 872774

All information is drawn or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.
Heavy horse ploughing field at Chiltern Open Air Museum
baby changing facilities icon Food icon Shop icon Study area icon Visual disability facilities icon Wheelchair access icon

An outstanding collection of historic buildings, rescued from destruction and rebuilt in a traditional Chilterns landscape on the Museum's 43-acre site. Explore the buildings including a 1940s Prefab from Amersham, a Victorian Vicarage Room from Thame, and a 19th-century earth cottage from Haddenham. Discover the working historic Chilterns farm and meet the animals, including three lovely Clydesdale heavy horses. There are special events throughout the season (April-October), including Chiltern Arts Fest, the Classic Vehicles Show, a spectacular Halloween event, and a lot of medieval fighting and gladitorial combat.

Membership of the Friends Association is £20 for the season and includes entry to most events. The Museum relies on the support of over 200 volunteers, and more are always welcome! Please email hlfvisitor@coam.org.uk for more information about volunteering.

Venue Type:

Museum, Garden, parklands or rural site, Heritage site, Historic house or home, Agricultural site

 Opening hours

21 March - 26 October
Daily 1000-1700
Last admissions 3.30 p.m.

Closed: November- March

 Admission charges

Adults: £9
Children: £5.50
Concessions: £8
Friends of COAM: Free
Under 4's: Free
Family Ticket (1 Adult & 2 Children): £18
Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children) : £26
Family Ticket (2 Adults & 3 Children): £30

Chiltern Open Air Museum is a registered charity (272381). Prices include voluntary Gift Aid donation of 10%.
Prices may vary for Special Events

Over 30 historic buildings from around the Chilterns.

Collection details

Social History, Land Transport, Decorative and Applied Art

Key artists and exhibits

  • 1940s Prefab
  • Toll house
  • A reconstruction of an Iron Age house
  • and many more
Exhibition details are listed below, you may need to scroll down to see them all.
Chiltern Arts Festival image of landscape by Jan Makower

Chiltern Arts Fest

1 — 2 June 2013

• A new arts festival in association with Bucks Open Studios.
• A fusion of great Chilterns artists on a site of outstanding natural beauty
• Wander around the quirky historic buildings on the Village Green and see in action potters, oil and watercolour painters, an iconographer, glass beadmaker, jeweller, textile artists, furniture-maker, clock-case maker and more…
• Buy original artworks. Support and encourage a feast of Chilterns talent.
• Find inspiration for your own work. Explore new media. Buy art materials
• Writing workshops with leading Chilterns authors
• Activities and fun for all the family
• Special website: http://www.chilternartsfest.com/index.html

Suitable for

  • Any age

Where

Chiltern Open Air Museum, Chalfont-St-Giles

Admission

Pre-booking required for some workshops. Please see website: http://www.chilternartsfest.com/index.html

Events details are listed below. You may need to scroll down or click on headers to see them all. For events that don't have a specific date see the 'Resources' tab above.
Roman gladiators in combat

Gladiators!

26 — 27 May 2013

• New event for 2013 – Roman gladiator fights!
• Learn about Roman life in Britain in the 1st century AD
• Buy your own replica Roman weapons in the shop
• Be warned, there will be a lot of (fake) blood - not for those of a sensitive disposition!

Suitable for

  • Any age

Where

Chiltern Open Air Museum

Working Heavy Horse show at Chiltern Open Air Museum

Working Heavy Horse Show

16 June 2013

• Watch spectacular arena events and parades at 12pm and 3pm
• Meet a variety of working horses including Shires, Clydesdales, Suffolk Punches and Percherons
• Enjoy demonstrations of traditional farm work such as hay making (weather dependent), horse logging and cultivation in the Museum’s fields

Suitable for

  • Any age

Admission

Standard Museum admission charge

Dress up as a Victorian for a photo at Chiltern Open Air Museum

Historic Photography

6 — 7 July 2013

• Choose a Victorian outfit and dress up
• Have a family photograph taken in our historic Vicarage Room.
• Take a postcard-sized sepia print home!

Suitable for

  • Any age

Admission

Standard Museum admission charge. Donations welcome for prints of photographs

Classic vehicle and picnic outside Leagrave Cottage at Chiltern Open Air Museum

Classic Vehicles Show

20 — 21 July 2013

• Admire over 100 classic cars, lorries and motorcycles
• Try your skill at riding historic bicycles on the Village Green
• Explore the collection of historic tractors and wagons down on the farm
• If you own a classic vehicle, bring it along for a spin – email Sara Wright for more information enquiries@coam.org.uk

Suitable for

  • Any age

Where

Chiltern Open Air Museum

Admission

Registration is required if you are going to bring a Classic Vehicle. Please contact Sara Wright enquiries@coam.org.uk for more information.

Resources listed here may include websites, bookable tours and workshops, books, loan boxes and more. You may need to scroll down or click on headers to see them all.
 Paper-based and downloads

Teachers' Resource Pack and Downloads

http://www.coam.org.uk/images/workshop%20pdf/Teachers%20Resource%20Pack.pdf

Within each booking pack is a CD-Rom, which contains the Teachers' Resource Pack, a Welcome Letter for parents, worksheets and information packs on each of the activity workshops available. These are also available to download for free from our website. We also have a Travel and Tourism Case Study about the Museum available for purchase from the Education Office.

 Face to face resources

Construction Skills Day Workshop KS3 & 4

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/KS34.html

This hands-on day will provide an insight into the vernacular architecture and built environment of the Chilterns, and the construction skills required to preserve Britain's built heritage.

Each day includes:
A short introductory tour of the Museum buildings, focusing on different structures including brick, timber and prefabricated buildings.
Traditional Brick Making workshop looking at types of bricks and bonds: students make bricks and construct a wall.
Cruck frame structures and materials workshop: raise a cruck frame barn as a group.
Wattle and daub practical workshop.

How to obtain

This workshop day has a special price of £200 per group, for a maximum of 30 students per group, with a maximum of 4 groups per day.
Activity workshops provide your class with a hands-on experiential learning experience. Although workshops are led by Museum teachers, you and your adult support must help the students during the activity and are responsible for the behaviour of your group.
Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Cruck Frame Building Workshop KS 1 & 2

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/ks12.html

Find out more about different structures and materials used in buildings and as a class raise your own cruck frame barn.

How to obtain

This workshop is led by Museum teachers, but you and your adult support must help the children during the activity and are responsible for the behaviour of your group.
Please ensure that you choose a workshop that is suitable for the age of your class and the topic you are studying at school.
A maximum of 30 children are able to take part in a workshop at any one time. Workshops cost £30 per class. Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Life 2000 Years Ago Workshop

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/ks12.html

Explore the reconstructed Iron Age House and learn about the realities of life in pre-Roman Britain through a question and answer session.

How to obtain

This workshop is led by Museum teachers, but you and your adult support must help the children during the activity and are responsible for the behaviour of your group.
Please ensure that you choose a workshop that is suitable for the age of your class and the topic you are studying at school.
A maximum of 30 children are able to take part in a workshop at any one time. Workshops cost £30 per class. Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Medieval Brick Making Workshop KS3

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/KS34.html

Find out more about different structures and materials used in buildings and make your own brick. Then discover the social importance of brick making throughout history from medieval to modern times and understand the role of children in the brickyards.

How to obtain

A booklet to support this activity is available from www.coam.org.uk/images/workshop%20pdf/KS1workshops/traditional%20brick%20making.pdf
Activity workshops provide your class with a hands-on experiential learning experience. Although workshops are led by Museum teachers, you and your adult support must help the students during the activity and are responsible for the behaviour of your group.
A maximum of 30 children are able to take part in a workshop at any one time. Workshops must be booked in advance of your visit. Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Medieval Structures Workshop

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/KS34.html

Find out more about different structures and materials used in buildings, as a class, raise your own cruck frame barn and then try your hand at daubing, a material which was in use from the Iron Age to the nineteenth century, when factory produced materials became widely available.

How to obtain

A downloadable information booklet to support this visit is available from www.coam.org.uk/images/workshop%20pdf/keystage3/Medieval%20Structures.pdf
Activity workshops provide your class with a hands-on experiential learning experience, but must be booked in advance of your visit. Although workshops are led by Museum teachers, you and your adult support must help the students during the activity and are responsible for the behaviour of your group.
A maximum of 30 children are able to take part in a workshop at any one time. Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Shelter Building Workshop KS 1 & 2

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/ks12.html

Find out more about different structures and materials used in buildings and create a shelter for you and your friends using only the materials found in the woods.

How to obtain

This workshop is led by Museum teachers, but you and your adult support must help the children during the activity and are responsible for the behaviour of your group.
Please ensure that you choose a workshop that is suitable for the age of your class and the topic you are studying at school.
A maximum of 30 children are able to take part in a workshop at any one time. Workshops cost £30 per class. Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Traditional Brick Making Workshop KS 1 & 2

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/ks12.html

Find out more about different structures and materials used in buildings and make your own brick. Then discover the social importance of brick making throughout history from Medieval to modern times and understand the role of children in the brickyards.

How to obtain

A downloadble booklet to support this workshop is available here www.coam.org.uk/images/workshop%20pdf/KS1workshops/traditional%20brick%20making.pdf
This workshop is led by Museum teachers, but you and your adult support must help the children during the activity and are responsible for the behaviour of your group.
Please ensure that you choose a workshop that is suitable for the age of your class and the topic you are studying at school.
A maximum of 30 children are able to take part in a workshop at any one time. Workshops cost £30 per class. Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

 Boxes, objects and other kit

Buildings and Objects Through the Senses Resource Box

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/ks12.html

Using feely bags, each containing an object / artefact, KS 1 & 2 children will use their senses to describe the object and make comparisons between the different materials, for example texture and warmth. Includes an 'Investigating Buildings' resource for use around the Museum buildings to put the science into context.

How to obtain

The resources within this box are designed to enable you to lead activities and discussions with your class at the Museum.
A resource box costs £15 per day to hire, with up to 4 classes being able to utilise a box per day.
Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Chronological and Geographical Assessment of the Museum Buildings KS3 & 4

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/KS34.html

Students use the historic buildings to collate historical data including original building date, the date that the buildings were moved to the Museum and the location from which the buildings were collected from. The students will then be able to produce a chronological line of the buildings and building techniques as well as being able to map the collection area of the Museum.
An information pack detailing the buildings (both re-erected and in storage) will be provided along with a geographical map.

How to obtain

Our free resource boxes are designed to enable you to lead activities and discussions with your class at the Museum. Up to 4 classes can use a box per day.

Chronological and Geographical Assessment of the Museum Buildings Resource Box

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/ks12.html

KS2 students use the historic buildings to collate historical data including original building date, the date that the buildings were moved to the Museum and the location from which the buildings were collected from. The students will then be able to produce a chronological line of the buildings and building techniques as well as being able to map the collection area of the Museum.
An information pack detailing the buildings (both re-erected and in storage) will be provided along with a geographical map.

How to obtain

The resources within this box are designed to enable you to lead activities and discussions with your class at the Museum.
A resource box costs £15 per day to hire, with up to 4 classes being able to utilise a box per day.
Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

Historic Landscapes Resource Box KS3 & 4

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/KS34.html

A collection of 6 original paintings entitled 'Birds of Prey and People' which illustrate the influence of settlements on the environmental landscape from the Iron Age to modern times. Accompanying notes for teachers will be provided.

How to obtain

Our free resource boxes are designed to enable you to lead activities and discussions with your class at the Museum. Up to 4 classes can use a box per day.

Reversible and Irreversible Changes in Building Materials Resource Box

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/ks12.html

Looking at changing states, your KS2 class will discover more about building materials from the raw material to the finished product. Includes an 'Investigating Buildings' resource for use around the Museum buildings to put the science into context.

How to obtain

The resources within this box are designed to enable you to lead activities and discussions with your class at the Museum.
A resource box costs £15 per day to hire, with up to 4 classes being able to utilise a box per day.
Please call 01494 875542 or email educationcoam@btconnect.com for more information and to make a booking.

The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on the Historic Environment Resource Box KS 3 & 4

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/KS34.html

Students will use the historic buildings to understand the impact of the industrial revolution on building materials and techniques and the related industries with the buildings, including the blacksmith's forge and the Toll House. An information pack detailing related buildings and industries will be provided.

How to obtain

Our free resource boxes are designed to enable you to lead activities and discussions with your class at the Museum. Up to 4 classes can use a box per day.

Travel and Tourism within the Historic Environment Resource Box KS 3 & 4

http://www.coam.org.uk/GEducation/KS34.html

Students use the Museum site and buildings to identify ways in which the historic built and landscape environments are interpreted to suit various audiences.
An information pack detailing audience types, visitor numbers and suitable locations to research will be provided.

How to obtain

Our free resource boxes are designed to enable you to lead activities and discussions with your class at the Museum. Up to 4 classes can use a box per day.

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