{"id":1012,"date":"2021-10-20T11:56:37","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T10:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/burgesshillheritagehistory.org.uk\/?page_id=1012"},"modified":"2024-06-03T14:07:08","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T13:07:08","slug":"museum-artifacts","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/burgesshillheritagehistory.org.uk\/index.php\/museum-artifacts\/","title":{"rendered":"Museum & Artifacts"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Museum and Artifacts<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Fred Avery was already retrieving terra cotta and chimney pots from Burgess Hill buildings which were being pulled down when we started up in 1979. Since we first formed in 1979, he has been rescuing decorative items, mainly Victorian terra cotta, from buildings scheduled for demolition.\u00a0 His latest triumph was a large mosaic, 16 ft. long by 3 ft. high, installed by BH Urban district Council in the Martlets Hall to mark the millenium in 2000; and, as a result of his intervention, it was saved from destruction when the hall was pulled down by MSDC in 2018. He was also collecting examples of local pottery and other historical artefacts The need for a town museum was immediately apparent. \u00a0So, from 1979 on, we were all very dedicated, with Fred, in the search for premises for a museum. A few suitable empty buildings came into the frame from time to time, including an old brickworks – Pug Mill tucked away on a site latterly used by the Scouts, behind the Royal George Pub, and the Strict Baptist Church in Park road. But our every request for funding came to nothing. \u00a0\u00a0Hundreds of hours were spent by the Committee on this fruitless mission.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

The first image is of Pug Mill with Scouts 1930, this tiled hexagonal building was used for mixing the dug clay with water to make it suitable for moulding. A pony drew the mixing paddles around a central spindle.\u00a0\u00a0 It has since been transferred to the Weald and Downland Museum at Singleton, W. Sussex. The second image shows Pug Mill in more recent times.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Collections,<\/span><\/div>

Scouts at Pug Mill<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Collections,<\/span><\/div>

Pug Mill<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Eventually, a different route emerged. St. John\u2019s Church no longer had use for their parish hall in Cyprus Road and the Town Council took it over and upgraded it into a community hall, now known as the Cyprus Hall. Fred was experienced in Local Government building standards and so became a member of the Building Sub-committee of the hall. He soon saw an opportunity for the downstairs space to be converted into a Town Museum so local people could see and enjoy the terracotta and our other collections. We put up \u00a31,500 for setting up the storage and display area and the Town Council matched the sum. Once complete, we opened it to the public free of charge one Saturday a month, with Fred and other members giving their time voluntarily.\u00a0 Access was from the Cyprus Road Car Park. Regrettably we lost that space recently and instead we only have a small room accessed from the main hall which we have been opening during our monthly evening meetings.<\/p>\n

Because of the limited space, much of the terra cotta has been on display at the Southdown Heritage Centre at the Hassocks Garden Centre. \u00a0A chance for a new \u2018display area\u2019 in the proposed new \u2018Beehive\u2019 theatre was on the cards, but that project has not come to pass.<\/p>\n

However it is the \u2018behind the scenes\u2019 storage for our collected paper and photographic material as well as the artifacts, in controlled atmospheric conditions, we really need.\u00a0 Actually, it is not \u2018us\u2019 but Burgess Hill that needs it. \u00a0Our Association, entirely made up of dedicated volunteers, can only identify and campaign for the end result that is appropriate for the town. Once suitable premises are found, together with at least some funds that will cover basic museum or archive repository standards and insurance, then the rest can be carried out by volunteers. We live in hope.<\/p>\n

Some particular \u2018treasures\u2019<\/h2>\n

Fred Avery has led the way in identifying and therefore helping to preserve “treasures” of Burgess Hill’s brick, tile, pottery and terracotta artefacts.<\/p>\n

“Our most special pieces of terra-cotta, retrieved from two different buildings are a \u2018wyvern\u2019 from a building in the Town Centre and Henry Burt\u2019s \u2018bee\u2019 which formed a decorative plaque on the front of his house in the London Road. The wyvern is a dragon-like creature, used as a decorative finish at the front end of the ridge at the top of the roof. This one came off its roof in the 1987 gale and broke into 24 pieces. It was restored but remains fragile as is the ridge tile in the display case.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Our<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Our<\/span><\/div>

The images show a selection of local pottery that our Society has managed to save before the buildings were demolished.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Our<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The \u2018bee\u2019 terracotta which we have adopted as our logo, is an artistic expression of Henry Burt\u2019s initials, a stile in the form of the letter \u2018H\u2019, with a bumble bee resting on it, representing the B for Burt. \u00a0I had collected it on the same evening as one of our committee meetings, in which \u2013 as it happened – the search for a suitable logo had been discussed and given up on. As I came in carrying the piece and explained what it represented, everyone just said, \u2018HB\/ BH. That\u2019ll do! \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Henry Burt was one of the founding fathers of the town\u2019s prestigious building firm of Norman and Burt in the London Road (where Wickes\u2019 now stands). His house in London Road stood on the east side of the London Road just north of the traffic lights and is now called Parkside<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Although not often seen by the general public, an original potters\u2019 wheel is of note. It was retrieved from Meeds\u2019 Potteries (Meeds Road area) by a local school teacher, the late Charles Gover, when the works were demolished in the 1950s.\u00a0 It has been preserved and is at present kept in storage, because we do not have the space to display it properly.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Our<\/span><\/div>

Potters Wheel<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Our<\/span><\/div>

Meeds Ware<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Our<\/span><\/div>

Brownware Pottery<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

These three items relate to Burgess Hill\u2019s major industry of brick, tile and pottery production but we also have memorabilia from many other aspects of our history, including the Victoria Pleasure Gardens – a nostalgic part of our past. Their swing-boat rides, boating lake and \u2018Temperance\u2019 tea rooms made them a major destination for Victorian Sunday School outings from Brighton. Our collections contain a crested collection of china and special dinner plates made for the Gardens in the early 20th<\/sup> century.”<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Paddle Steamer Victoria undergoing trials in 1897<\/h4><\/div>
\"Our<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Swing Boats in Victoria Pleasure Gardens<\/h4><\/div>
\"Our<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Entrance to Victoria Pleasure Gardens<\/h4><\/div>
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