A quirky living museum that depicts life on the home front during the Second World War is closing down.

The Old Forge Wartime House in East Street, Sittingbourne will open its doors to the public for the last time on Saturday, April 27.

The attraction features re-enactors in costume who describe what life was like during the war and it is packed with artefacts such as radios, teapots and other memorabilia.

It has also been used as a backdrop for a number of filming projects.

But the team that runs it has struggled to pay rising rent bills following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Debbie Holmes, who runs the museum, told KentOnline of the “painful” decision to shut the Old Forge which has been welcoming visitors for a decade.

She said: “It was unaffordable to keep it going with rising rent prices.

“It has acted as a way back in time for our visitors. When they come in and see the re-enactors and their music on in the background it takes people back to the 30s and 40s.

“Film crews love it here as they don’t have to do anything in terms of the set.

“We even have people who were children during the period and they say that the house feels familiar to them.

“There really is something special about this place as there isn’t anything like this around so it's heartbreaking we are closing.”

The replica 1940s house has a period living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom filled with original furniture and artefacts from 70 years ago.

It had originally been a blacksmith's forge but was converted into a watchmaker's and jewellery shop by Sidney Brett – Debbie’s great, great grandfather.

Debbie had run a fancy dress shop, Character Costumes, in the building during the 2000s.

She and her sister, Louise Leppenwell, as well as friends and family, then converted it into a living history experience and welcomed school children, tourists, film crews, hen dos and Scout groups since it opened in 2014.

They had been re-enacting for other groups across the country so decided to bring their knowledge of the home front to the town.

Its collection is set to go to Ramsgate Tunnels where visitors can go on guided tours of where 60,000 people sheltered during air raids during the Second World War.

Debbie says she is glad the collection will stay together despite the “heartbreaking” decision.

“When the tunnels told us they were interested in the collection it gave us an opportunity to keep it together,” she added.

“We could have been in a situation where we closed and would have nowhere for it all to go. We will support the tunnels now.”

Thanks to its authenticity, the house became a filming location.

It featured on an episode of Bargain Hunt in February last year and on a Channel 5 documentary called The Great Smog.

The latter depicted the events of a dense smog that filled the air in London and killed an estimated 12,000 people in the winter of 1952 and 1953.

Kevin Ralph, who works on the film desk at the Forge, says he would love to see the museum continue as a film set.

He said: “There is still hope on my side that because the majority of the income to this place is through filming, if we get enough film crews we could keep this place alive.

“It would mean we could return back to be open just once a month again which would take the strain off the volunteers.

“Before the pandemic, we used to open once a month but to cover the costs we opened every weekend.

“But that’s all to be decided.

“It’s a really special place with people coming from as far away as Wales and Cornwall to see it.

“At the moment there are still enough people of an age that experienced the war or they have stories from their families so people get to relive what it was like on the home front.

“It would be a real shame for us to lose it.”

But Debbie says the Old Forge will be closing for good once the filming in September has been completed.

It is set to be featured in a film called Everything Is Out to Get Me, directed by Dustin Curtis Murphy.

The movie is a 1950s’ psychological drama about a woman struggling with mental health.

The Old Forge received an outpouring of support on social media when it announced it would close.

One commenter said: “It's so sad to hear this. It’s such an amazing place with the most brilliant and knowledgeable volunteers. It will be missed.”

Another said: “So very sad at this news. Just a wonderful depiction of social history.”

“Very sorry to hear this,” another visitor added, “I’ve enjoyed some wonderful visits to you over the years and will never forget my first time stepping through the fancy dress shop into another world.”