The Hilary Bourne Gallery
Ditchling Museum tells the story of a remarkable village and its community of 20th century artists and craftsmen.
The founders of the museum were two sisters, Joanna and Hilary Bourne who started life in India and arrived in Ditchling as young girls before the First World War.
They spent their childhood exploring the Downs and growing up in the creative atmosphere of the village with its artists and craftsmen including Eric Gill and Edward Johnston. The museum has a unique collection of work by these and others who came to Ditchling to live and work.
Hilary was a weaver and Joanna a linguist and sub-editor on Time and Tide magazine. Returning to Ditchling in their seventies, they saved the Victorian village school buildings from development and realised their vision to create Ditchling Museum. In 1985 the Museum was opened by Sir Donald Sinden whose boyhood was spent in the village.
Ditchling Museum is an independent charitable Trust with two full time members of staff, a committed band of volunteers and a supportive Friends’ Association.
Exhibitions with accompanying programmes of lectures, workshops and children’s activities focus particularly on the art and craft collection.
The Schoolmaster’s garden is planted with traditional plants and flowers and the sensory garden with herbs, both culinary and medicinal.
The museum, with its shop and café, provides a focus for visitors to the area. Guided walks, pointing out buildings of historic and artistic interest, are offered to groups together with a tour of the museum.
Items illustrated from the collection may not all be on permanent display.