Cuckfield Museum
PERMANENT DISPLAYS
Dinosaurs and Fossils
As well as a display of various fossils, we also have a wonderful diorama of Cuckfield in the Cretaceous era when dinosaurs, including iguanodons, roamed the landscape. Click here for more information on the discovery of dinosaurs in Cuckfield.
For children there is a new dinosaur quiz based on all there is to see in the display and a new activity table for handling and examining fossils.
The Cuckfield Cache
A cache of deliberately concealed objects, including a child’s clothing, was found under the floorboards of 1 Church Street. They were mainly from the late 19th century and were thought to be a type of protective magic for the house. Many of the objects are now on display in the museum. Click here for further information on this topic.
Clockmaking
Cuckfield was an important centre for clockmaking and we are proud to have a number of long case clocks in our collection. For most of the 18th century the Gatland family were the prominent clockmakers of Cuckfield. By the 19th century, Walter Smith and Edward Bates were also working in Cuckfield.
Click here for further information on this topic.
Coaching
In the late 18th and early 19th century Cuckfield was a key stage on the very busy London-Brighton coaching route. Our display shows route maps, photographs and an old coaching horn, amongst other items from this period.
Click here for further information on this topic.
Ceramics
Our Ceramics display shows items from the original Richard Bevan collection and dates back to the early 18th century.
We are also proud to display a rare suffragette tea set recently donated to the Museum.
Birds' Eggs
The museum houses a large collection of birds’ eggs collected around the turn of the 20th century by Edmund Clarke of Borde Hill.
Cuckfield Union Workhouse
This was an integral part of the village in the 19th century, eventually providing housing for the Canadian Air Force during the Second World War and then transforming into the main mid-Sussex hospital. Our display shows aspects of life in the workhouse and a detailed plan of the internal layout. Click here for further information on this topic.
Farming in Sussex
Farming has been a key industry in Sussex throughout the ages. Our display shows farm implements and clothing used as well as some winning cups from various agricultural events.
First World War
A permanent display of items from the First World War including our much treasured Ditty Box which belonged to Lance Cpl George Botting of London Lane, Cuckfield.
Click here for further information on this topic.
Domestic Bygones & Souvenirs
Some items from the 17th century onwards representing life on the domestic front and showing the variety of materials used.
There is also a case full of various Cuckfield souvenir items from across the years.
Fun and Games
As well as a varied collection of toys from the 19th and early 20th centuries, there are now a number of Cuckfield teddy bears enjoying a picnic in an enchanted glade and children can enjoy spotting all the little features of the display.
Caffyns Frieze
A wonderful wooden frieze depicting the evolution of the motor car from the earliest models until 1937. This originally framed the entrance to the Caffyns workshop which was situated on Broad Street.
Ironworks
From the mid 16th century, Cuckfield’s most profitable industry was iron production and some of Cuckfield’s most prominent families, the Bowyers, the Burrells and the Coverts were ironmasters. Our display shows artefacts from this era and provides information about the families and foundries. Click here for further information on this topic.
Maps
The Museum has an extensive collection of historic maps centred on Cuckfield and the mid-Sussex area.
Research Facilities
In addition to the displays, the museum holds a large number of photographs, postcards and research documents on local history, local families, buildings, businesses etc. Visitors are able to research their family history and topics of historical interest. We also have a considerable collection of 19th and 20th century books and publications relating to a variety of topics and families in Sussex, including an almost full set of the Sussex Archaeological Society volumes and many from the Sussex Record Society collection. Click here for further information on this topic.
If you are interested in this or any other Cuckfield topics, why not visit us in the museum.
