Bentley Wildfowl And Motor Museum
Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum
Halland, Lewes,
East Sussex BN8 5AF
Tel: 01825 840573
About Bentley Wildflowl and Motor Museum
Bentley Wildfowl And Motor Museum is to be found at Halland, near Lewes in East Sussex, and ticket holders to the variegated family attraction are in for a treat – a family day out that few can rival and which everyone can enjoy whatever the weather. Bentley Wildfowl boasts an amazing menagerie of some 1000 swans, geese and ducks from all over the planet, alongside an unparalleled collection of Veteran, Edwardian and Vintage Cars and Motorcycles. Bentley Wildfowl additionally features refined gardens and a magnificent stately pile, surrounded by topiared trees and not a stone’s throw from a mock-up prehistoric village, not to mention a craft centre and a raft of other attractions that draw thousands of visitors per annum to Bentley Wildfowl.
A ticket for a family day out includes the Palladian structure of Bentley House, situated on a farm estate that originated seven centuries before. Overhauled by Raymond Erith for the Askew clan after World War 2, the mansion was extended and fitted out with stunning antiques, furnishings and interior decorations. Aficionados will thrill at mid-Goergian wallpaper in the Chinese Drawing Room, while smoked mirrors between the windows and Jean Hornak designs make are a highlight of the 1950s east wing. Gilt furniture adds lustre, as do garden urns in each corner of the room and fine ceiling plaster with a fruity Kentish design theme.
Erith’s Palladian project began in 1965, and the Bird Room was ready just before Gerald Askew’s death. Dedicated to his memory, it features the Philip Rickman wildfowl paintings that were his pride and joy, one of which has Askew feeding birds. The Bird Room mimics the Chinese Drawing Room in understated fashion, with a chimney stack based on Palladio's Villa Maser. The Rickman Gallery has over 150 of his watercolours and is a standout among Bentley Wildfowl’s many attractions.
Between the two Palladian rooms is an enfilade, an oval ante-room marking the divide between old and new houses, while a sitting room has a corner fireplace and wave-top bookcase by Erith. A low-beamed dining room includes sumptuous painted furniture and is one of the oldest parts of the house, as exemplified by its 17th century table and 18th century Venetian chairs.
Furthermore, a family day out includes the gardens and their age-old yew hedges that copy the house’s room layout, while landscape gardener Jim Russell kept things informal with rare trees and plants, especially roses, including Bourbons, Gallicas and Damasks. The Askews were inspired by Isfield Place, Sissinghurst and Charleston Manor gardens and retained the Ginkgo Biloba and Swamp Cypress trees fronting the property. Then, in 2006-07, some 100 metres of willow tunnels, paths, domes, arbours and bridges were added, the latter traversing an islet, following the outline of local artist Jenny Arran. The 10 willow species used are a variegated highlight and were first shown by Mary Askew in 1978.
Marking its 30th anniversary, the family attraction has bolstered both its avian and vehicular collections. Gerald Askew first focused on the former in 1962 after visiting Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust. He established his own Wildfowl centre with 40 Swans, Geese and Ducks, while a bulldozer cut out a pond, hitting upon a spring in the process. Using this wate, the Bentley Wildfowl Duckery was instigated, attracting Mandarins, Carolinas, Emperor Geese and Black-necked Swans from Australia. The Bentley Wildfowl sanctuary has some 125 of the extant 147 wildfowl species, and the 23 acre facility also has flamingos, cranes and Hawaiian Geese - one of the endangered species conserved in part due to the efforts of Bentley Wildfowl’s breeding scheme. Those on a family day out can learn more at the Education centre, where ticket holders and school groups are informed about their behaviour and natural environments.
Another renowned collection is Bentley Wildfowl’s Motor Museum, the home to an assortment of on-loan vehicles loaned. Hence, its exhibits change with regularity, and most are retained in roadworthy condition. The Motor Museum was established by Hugh Stuart-Roberts, who owned a number of by-gone motor cars classed as Veteran (built before the end of 1904), Edwardian (between 1905 and 1914) and Vintage (between 1915 and 1930). Building on them, it now takes in historic gems from across the decades, among them a 1934 BMW 315, 1927 Minerva, 1909 Alldays & Onions, 1987 Lamborghini Countach and 1992 Diablo, 1953 Jaguar XK 120, 1985 DMC DeLorean, 1937 Lagonda Rapide, 1937 Derby Bentley, 1950 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia and 1987 Benetton F-1 racing car.
A breath-taking sight, but a ticket to the family attraction entitled the holder to even more! A family day can include a walk in mixed woods that formed part of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 17th Century estate. Over 10 acres of relaxing circular paths (for which a leaflet is available from the Information Centre and boxes near the estate entrance), Glyndebourne Woods is awash with coniferous and deciduous trees, breezy glades and, in May, is blanketed in bluebells.
On top of that, an Ancient Buildings Trail has numerous re-creations of ancient buildings, erected by East Sussex Archaeology & Museums Partnership. These include Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Saxon huts designed in the light of archaeological digs. Interactive displays add an educational element to a fun family day out, while there’s more of that in the childrens' adventure playground, the gift shop, and a cafe with home-made food. In addition, Childrens' Parties go on in the erstwhile stables, with a licensed tearoom providing lush home-made cakes and cream teas. There are ample picnic areas too, while Woodsman stage woodland children’s birthday parties with goody bags. Bentley Wildfowl has disabled facilities and free electric wheelchairs as well, meaning a grand family day out for everybody is guaranteed.
In School holidays and at weekends, bonus family attractions include a narrow-gauge steam railway run by volunteers between April and September, as well as each Sunday during Winter (the weather allowing). Kids can also go on an Easter egg hunt, do orienteering and complete free quiz sheets. Bentley Wildfowl Shire Barn also has a crafts centre, with resident woodcarvers, a glass engraver, toy maker and carpenters carving wood, glass and leather ware and model ships. The attraction caters for weddings and special occasions and events too (detailed at the Bentley Wildfowl website).