SWAPPING his role on BBC One’s Antiques Roadshow for a special visit to Haslemere was well-known contributor Eric Knowles, an expert on leading 19th and 20th century decorative arts and antiques.

It was all part of the town playing host to an Arts and Crafts weekend to celebrate the town’s rich Arts and Crafts heritage.

The weekend of special events, organised by the town museum and supported by Haslemere Events and the Visitor Information Centre provided a fascinating insight into the Arts and Crafts Movement – one of the most influential international artistic movements of modern times.

Visitors came from far and wide to enjoy the weekend of celebratory events which included an evening talk by Mr Knowles.

Also on the agenda was a trail around the Arts and Crafts industry buildings and houses of Haslemere, a guided tour of Gertrude Jekyll’s iconic garden at Munstead Wood and dinner by candlelight at St Christopher’s Church, a stunning example of an Arts and Crafts building.

Ceri Jane O’Hara, public relations officer at Haslemere Museum, said: “We were absolutely delighted by the success of the weekend. It was a wonderful opportunity for both visitors and residents to gain a unique insight into a remarkable and influential part of Haslemere’s rich heritage.”

The Rustic Renaissance exhibition at the museum runs throughout the summer and tells the intriguing story of how a remarkable group of craftspeople thrived in Haslemere in the early 1900s, illustrated by original artwork and artefacts from the Museum’s European Peasant Arts Collection.