Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum

Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum, Lewes: Address, Phone Number, Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum Reviews: 4/5

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Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum

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Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum

346

Speciality Museums • Nature & Wildlife Areas • History Museums

This location was reported permanently closed

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Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum is currently closed. Information will be available in due course regarding 2019. The wildfowl collection is currently being sold or returned to owners following instructions from the owners of the Bentley Estate. See Bentley Miniature Railway website for details

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4.0

346 reviews

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156

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109

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GanGanPaul

Lewes, UK28 contributions

Check first

Family

Please check before you visit.
I understand that wildfowl. House and museum are at the moment closed until further notice.
Model railway and branching out are still operating.

Written January 15, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

ROBIN D

Worthing, UK59 contributions

GREAT FIND IN DEEPEST SUSSEX

Friends

You don't usually get to see vintage cars and wildfowl at the same place, but open to new experiences as I am. I thought this attraction was worth a visit.
It was an fascinating place, with extensive grounds, gift shop and a tea room.
On the day we visited it was very quite, and felt like we had the place to ourselves, which was amazing and very unusual these days.
The £8 entrance fee was about right for what there was on offer, and you can easily spend two or three hours there.
Ok, the grounds are a little run down, but that just added to its quirkiness.
I would defiantly recommended a visit to this to museum, hidden deep in the beautiful Sussex countryside.

Written June 10, 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Events M

Dear Robin D, Thank you very much for taking time to review Bentley. We are delighted that you enjoyed yourselves. We are sometimes congratulated on the 'understated' delight of Bentley. Very glad that you could share the secret.

Written June 13, 2016

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Maggs C

3 contributions

Our visit.

Family

What a wonderful place this is to visit. So much open space. A wonderful small tea room that does wonderful home made food. It was the first visit for my granddaughters and how they loved it. The highlight was definately the wild fowl. We spent a good hour observing the wild fowl much to the absolute delight of the granddaughters. You can buy seed to feed them but there was none available on this day, for some reason. The car museum was done at a swift pace, obviously not of interest to the girls. There is a wonderful train that trundles around too.

We learnt on our departure that the Trustees along with the land agents, Strutt and Parker, that they are removing the wild fowl next year!!! Really, totally absurd, it is the only reason many people visit is because of the space and wild fowl. Not the cars. If this should Take place, I am sure it will have an adverse effect. The wild fowl have been in situ for 50 years.

My 8 year old granddaughter wrote a letter as soon she got home to the Trustees and my 5 year old wants to 'have words' about this decision.

Written October 26, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Wizards

Marlow3 contributions

Bentley woodfair

Family

£49 to take my family was far too much , it's basically a load of trade tents and any rides you want to go on involves more money , enjoyed the day but won't go again

Written September 30, 2014

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

LittleJon1

Brighton1 contribution

Rundown Bentley's !

I have visited Bentley's over the past 20 years but have haven't been for around 2 years and was shocked by everything I saw. Nothing is being maintained, the gardens use to look lovely but now look tired as do the ponds and wildfowl area, which are in a very poor unkept state. The children's playground isn't being maintained to the point I think making it unsafe for children to play in it especially the babies swing with it's very dodgy quick fix on the safety catch. The whole place is lacking investment and enthusiasm, Bentley's never use to be like this and even the gift shop has nothing in it but empty dusty cabinets and holes in the walls where cabinets once stood. It's a shame as I use to rave about Bentley's I don't know what's happened or where it's all gone wrong but won't be going back, happy memories all gone :(

Written August 17, 2014

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Events M

Thank you for your review. We try to answer as many as possible I'm sorry that your review didn't include the areas of Bentley which others seem to enjoy so much. Our small team is always trying to attend to areas that need maintenance and the the children's play area is certainly one of them. The gardens are also undergoing a programme of work. The shop does indeed need more and newer products and this is an area which we are planning. We strive to keep our visitors happy and receive differing reviews. But, you will see that most are more enthusiastic than critical.

Written August 18, 2014

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

M M

Brighton, UK1 contribution

Oh dear....

Couples

We have visited Bentley in the past and decided to go again as we had a couple of hours to kill one afternoon. What a mistake! The place looked so run down and "tired". The gardens seemed very unkept, information panels were confused and it was hard to tell if the tea room was open or closed so we gave it a miss altogether. The barn with the motor cars had a good selection of vehicles but the information on them was old or missing so it was hard to tell what you were looking at. The selection of wildfowl is impressive but, as with the rest of the site, the enclosures seemed very run down.

Overall, it was a very uninspiring and depressing hour or so.

Written May 8, 2013

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

kevin j

Pevensey Bay, UK31 contributions

What a Shame

Couples

We visited Bentley Wildfowl in the 1st week in august, its such a shame that this whole area of the wildfowl park and the gardens have been neglected to such a point that I would not recommend to anybody, all the ponds seem to be in need of updating and cleaning, the seating all around the ponds were in need of replacing as were in very poor state. The garden behind the house lacked TLC it should have been on full bloom, in fact it was blooming terrible . To enter cost £9. and a family ticket £26 so not overpriced, It needs a very large lottery grant to update the whole place. sorry.

Written August 5, 2014

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Peter H

5 contributions

What a Bargain

Friends

Bentley Wild Fowl Museum is a real diamond in the rough. I visited yesterday with Roy my 89 year old pal. He doesn't walk at all well, and me at 72, am a bit better if I use my stick. I phoned on previous day to reserve two complementary mobility scooters. We arrived half hour later than arranged at 11.30am. It was no prob' to the folks at BWFM. I left Roy in the free car park at the nearby disabled bay(50-60 metres from reception, checked in and was immediately presented with one of the fully-charged scooters to ride back to my car to hand over to Roy, then we both headed back to reception. Gordon the 'Warden' from the Motor Museum was waiting with my scooter. Off to a great start!!!
So, after paying senior entry and zero for the scooters we headed for the car museum. Another little gem. We trundled round looking at the small but really interesting collection of apparently mostly privately owned exhibits. There are cars, bikes and even Clive Sinclair's white elephant, the Sinclair C5 and his later electric bicycle. Me and Roy being petrol-heaads in our youth were enthralled at the range on show. The aforementioned Gordon joined us at times, to impart interesting extra info, including pointing out his own two eclectic vehicles. Some museums charge for a tour guide, but not here. For the squeamish, the sligthtly sombre funereal exhibits of my earlier visit are now gone and replaced with racing cars. It would be easy to skip quickly through the small collection but we took our time, reading the information cards and adding to our encyclopaedic knowledge of 20th century transport-JOKE.
Well, after about an hour, we scooted on to the cafe for refreshments at the cafe area and indulged ourselves with all-day full english breakfasts. Full plate, quickly served and nicely cooked All very reasonably priced and served with free smiles and, for us, table service(picnic benches under brollies).
After that, we ventured across the grass to see the two white horses and miniature Shetland ponies. One beautiful pony was small as a boxer dog, but difficult to see because a kiddie was draped around it's neck, in love and wanting to take it home. Pony was unfazed.
Then we set off past the mini stately home(closed to general public for refurb') and into the woodland to see the wild fowl. Thankfully, the scooters can manage this terrain, without any helpers, we had fun going through the various gates. You open a gate and get on the scooter and the gate's closed again. All part of the fun. These things are quite amusing and add to the memories of the day. There's fun to be had trying to match up the wildfowl with their picture cards as the darn things keep swapping from their own domains, and many loiter on the pathways. They can still get out of the way of two geriatrics with scooters on full power! Just joking Gordon.
So, after seeing the wide variety of ducks, geese, storks and even 'pink chickens'(ref. the Beverly Hillbillies), we headed back along the path for another pit-stop, for tea and the freshest 'home-made' lemon drizzle cake this side of Bake-Off.
Finally, we decided the miniature railway should be attempted. So, off across the grass, through the wicker tunnel to the ticket office. Parked the scooters, and bought the really inexpensive £1 tickets. Nice lady got Roy a chair to await the train. It duly arrived and we sqeezed in. Not easy, if you're six foot and porky(that's me). Local help and we're in and off. What a great little train set. All run by volunteers with real steam engines and plenty of fire and smoke. Ah nostalgia! We passed the adjacent music festival site with people calling and waving from the colourful encampment. Our whole experience was enhanced as we went round twice due to operating error by driver and guard.
Exit from the station to find Gordon waiting to garage the scoots and go home as it was now almost 5-15pm. We did the reverse with the scooters to get Roy to the car and I delivered back my one. Cup of flask coffee in the car and off home.
Epilogue- A great day out, a gem that needs more patronage. Don't be put off by the one or two Tripadvisor naysayers. It's interesting, run by dedicated staff, who couldn't be more helpful to two old f**ts. A little improvement of some facilities could be accomodated, but it needs patronage cos' it all costs money. So, whatever you age and ability, give it a go, use it or lose it.

Written August 5, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Dean W

Heathfield, UK10 contributions

First visit

Family

We were 30 minutes early as I forgot about the hour difference in time:) but a very friendly Lady that worked n the entry office kindly advised us that she was just going to open when I was approached by a pompous man (the owner I assume) with a Labrador that accused me of going too fast up his Private drive the fact that I was in second gear and driving a V8 so it sounds a lot faster than its actually going did not occur to him! the kind Lady apologised but I refused to enter and pay towards his silver spoon family fund and will not be going back

Written October 30, 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Events M

Thank you for your review. As the manager, it's perfectly reasonable in the half term break to ensure that the Slow Please signs are noticed. The car may have mislead me, but I was also surprised because we were not open. Pompous no. Reasonably polite? Yes. Silver Spoon fund? Certainly not. I work at Bentley rather than own it. Our other visitors all enjoy Bentley very much.

Written October 31, 2016

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

oakwoodgals

Derby45 contributions

Not sure what to make of it!

Couples

We visited on 5th September with our elderly mother who is a wheelchair user. Staff were helpful at the tearooms telling us we could use the other entrance as the proper entrance was a bit of a tight squeeze. I think we were fortunate that there was only one other person in the tearooms the time. The wildfowl area was a bit sad looking to be honest and I agree with some of the other reviews saying it looked a bit uncared for. The motor museum was interesting. I'm not sure what we were expecting but we were a little disappointed. It's in a wonderful spot and with an injection of money could be brought up to a better standard . I'm sure the staff and everyone involved are very committed but it just looked a bit tired.

Written September 5, 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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