Heritage Open Days at Woking Palace 2009
Heritage Open Days were set up to give people the chance to visit sites that are not generally open to the public. Woking Palace has participated in this scheme for a number of years now and once again this year welcomed visitors onto its eight acre moated site.
The remains of this once royal manor and palace usually sit quietly beside the River Wey a little way from Old Woking but over the weekend of 12th & 13th September they came alive with over 360 people visiting this rarely open site to find out more about it. The gentle stroll along the lane from Old Woking gave time to adjust to a slower pace of life. On arrival many visitors were surprised to discover that Woking is not just a Victorian creation but a place of much history and importance in past times
The Friends of Woking Palace provided information and guided tours to introduce the visitors to the long history of the site that dates back beyond the Norman Conquest. Visitors were then invited to step into the vaulted building, the only building on the site to have a roof. Inside, set under a fine example of a vaulted, ribbed ceiling, delightful displays conjured up glimpses of Tudor life. Masterminded by Muriel Tuckey, a long-time Friend, the displays aim to give a taste of the differing levels of life in that period and are under constant development.
Elsewhere on the site Arriere-ban, a re-enactment group, had brought along examples of Tudor weapons and a medicine chest stocked with medieval remedies for various ills that they explained in graphic detail to the delight of their audiences. At present material from the archaeological investigations carried out over the summer are being studied but a set of photos of the excavations were on display with someone on hand to answer visitors’ questions.
The next Open Days will be in May 2010. Details of Open Days in 2010 will be published on this website.
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| Registered Charity no. 1100852 |
Updated 20 September 2009 |