Go to the Rural Life museum in New Market Street, Usk . It offers a fascinating insight into the ways of rural life from 1850-1950 with over 5000 artefacts from domestic and agricultural rural life. Its present home in the old malt barn and adjoining buildings was made possible by the tireless work of Lady Euphan Hanbury-Tenison who was determined to preserve these memories and stories in a place which would be accessible and informative to future generations. Run entirely by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, admission to the museum is free.
I thought on first entering that 30 minutes would be sufficient but we were still enthralled 2 hours later because there is so much to see. Did you know how much milk an average cow produces a day? 90 glasses! Bessie, their resident cow, may not produce quite that much but she enjoys being milked and very rarely kicks!
Much of the museum focuses on crafts and tools, there’s a smithy complete with huge bellows, a cobbler’s workshop where we see how one pair of shoes had to last being constantly repaired and treated with a huge amount of respect. There is also a parlour recreated with a glowing range, the table set for tea and in the corner a sewing machine on which most of the young ladies of Usk once had their wedding dresses made.
We discovered the origins of corn dollies. The corn was cut by hand and the last remaining stalks turned into corn dollies or idols as they were also known to keep in their house through the winter. It was believed that the spirit of the harvest would remain in the stalks and then the seeds would be used for planting in the spring. The museum is full of facts presented in bite size chunks so easy to absorb.
Lynda Patchin one of the team of volunteers was kind enough to show us a table cloth made out of old flour sacking beautifully embroidered which will be on display soon as will one of the smallest irons you are ever likely to see designed to iron ruffles.
What is so lovely about this museum, is that it sparks the imagination and allows you to glimpse past times. All the objects in the museum come with memories and stories of those that donated them. It is suitable for all ages and is certainly worth several return visits.
There is also a coffee shop with delicious coffee and a selection of teas and snacks including rather good ice-cream. The coffee shop is available to hire as a conference room and it comes complete with Wifi, a projection screen and a dishwasher for £10 per hour seating up to 30 people. Buffets and refreshments can be arranged at a reasonable charge on request. Contact hello@uskmuseum.org for more information.
Free car parking available in Maryport car park. Opening hours 10.30 to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, last admission 4.30pm. The museum welcomes groups call 01291 673 777 to book a time.
