Hoghton Tower
England's first open air museum, Avoncroft Museum, is home to over 30 historic buildings and structures which have been rescued and re-built in rural Worcestershire, spread over 19 acres of beautiful Worcestershire countryside and includes a wildflower meadow, period gardens, a traditional cider and perry orchard.
In 1967 the Museum was opened to the public following the rescue and reconstruction of a medieval merchant’s house from Bromsgrove. Then, as now, their priority was to retain historic buildings in their original location. Over five decades, Avoncroft Museum has continued to rescue structures where this had not been achievable and the museum now displays and cares for over twenty five historic buildings that range in date from Worcester Cathedral’s fourteenth century Guesten Hall roof to a post second world war prefab from Birmingham, covering over 700 years of Midlands history.
1583 - All Hallows Eve
October 2021
As part of a Halloween Special weekend, we placed Richard Clare, a Yeoman farmer, within the museum's Merchant's House. Along with his Goodwife Katheryn, children Robert and Anise, and some servants, they gave a quick taste of Elizabethan life. All Hallows Eve had been greatly reduced as a special day since the English church's move to Protestantism. The earlier All Hallow's feast had been scrapped and even the following All Souls day was reduced in the number of saints careful in how it viewed departed relatives, so not to been seen too Catholic.
Throughout the museum were other interpreters covering different periods in history, incorporating their version of All Hallows Eve.
In the evening, the museum reopened for more of a current Halloween celebration, including children's fancy dress.
