Rural Life Living Museum
Tilford, Waverley
Photo: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 3.0Photo: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 3.0
An open-air museum in the countryside near Tilford with historic rural buildings and a large collection of farm machinery, tools, cycles and fire engines from country life. It runs toddler mornings, activity days and courses through the year.
Highlights
- Historic countryside buildings to explore
- Collection of rural machinery, cycles and fire engines
- Toddler Time and Activity Thursday sessions
- Christmas events in December
Good to know
- Opening changes between summer and winter, so check the website on the day
- Adult courses such as soap making run on some dates
Getting there
Rural Life Living Museum, The Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 2DLParking: Parking on site, including hard-standing coach parking.
Get directionsChecked on 19 October 2026 against rural-life.org.uk, rural-life.org.uk, rural-life.org.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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What's on at Rural Life Living Museum
Santa Specials at the Rural Life Living Museum
A steam-hauled train takes families from Reeds Road Station through the trees to the North Pole Station, a short walk from Santa's woodland grotto. Children get a named gift, and the museum's historic buildings are dressed with period decorations.
A Night before Christmas at the Rural Life Living Museum
The open-air museum near Farnham opens after dark with its historic buildings decorated and lit for Christmas. There is live music, mince pies, mulled wine and a campfire for toasting marshmallows.
Nearby
Photo: BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0Bourne Wood
A Forestry England wood above a large heathland clearing south of Farnham, with views over the surrounding pine forest. It is one of the UK film industry's busiest locations and has been used for films, adverts and television since 1999.
Photo: Peter S, CC BY-SA 2.0Frensham Little Pond
A 13th-century fish pond set in heathland between Farnham and Hindhead, owned by the National Trust and part of the Wealden Heaths National Nature Reserve. A level walk circles the water, with the Tern Café looking over it.
Photo: Mills77, CC BY-SA 3.0Waverley Abbey
The ruins of the first Cistercian monastery in Britain, founded by monks from France in 1128 beside the River Wey south-east of Farnham. The vaulted 13th-century lay brothers' refectory survives, and an ancient yew grows in the grounds.