If you’re looking for a civilised activity for a Sunday then a visit to Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft not far from Brighton is just the thing. It certainly beats our previous Sunday’s trip to the tip and lunch at the garden centre. Unfortunately that’s not quite true as I am rather partial to trip to the tip… erm…
Anyhoo. The museum was re-opened in September 2013 after a £2.3m redevelopment and the result is a stunningly designed new building. It’s not particularly big but it is perfectly formed. The museum mostly focuses on the work of artists and designers who were connected to the village in the early 20th Century and who made it one of Britain’s most important creative centres. Artists included in the group included the type designer (amongst many other things, some of which are best not to mention) Eric Gill and also Edward Johnston (who designed the typeface for the London Underground.) My favourite part, quite predictably what with me being a graphic designer, is the print room at the back of the museum that holds the old printing machinery and block letters; photos above.
The museum has a good little gift shop (always important!), a cafe area and also puts on an interesting and varied programme of events.
There’s no parking dedicated to the museum so you have to park where you can find space in the village. When we went that meant in a virtual mud pit, but it was worth it to watch Mr B trying to manoeuvre his way out of it, arf.
The aforementioned museum cafe is only really for a quick cuppa (and maybe cake) but you can get a very tasty Sunday lunch at the nearby The Bull pub. Yum yum.