Cuckfield Museum

Cuckfield Museum Cuckfield Museum is a small, volunteer-run, independent museum

Normal opening times: Wednesday - Saturday 10am-12.30pm

With an earliest record in a charter of 1091, Cuckfield has grown and developed from the site of an ancient market, through the building of the 13th Century church and 16th Century ironmasters mansions to becoming an important staging post on the 18th Century London to Brighton coaching route. Some of the world's first dinosaur discoveries were made here in the 19th Century and after the two World

Wars of the 20th Century, Cuckfield is becoming a 21st Century boutique village. Find out about village life, the interesting people and places and fascinating events that have shaped Cuckfield or look into your family history in our research room.

28/08/2026

With bad weather now forecast for tomorrow, the Cuckfield Royal Observer Post will remain closed but will be open this Sunday 30th Aug from 9-1.

The Cuckfield Royal Observer Post Nuclear Bunker, restored by Mark Russell and Ed Combes in 2009, will open tomorrow, A...
28/08/2026

The Cuckfield Royal Observer Post Nuclear Bunker, restored by Mark Russell and Ed Combes in 2009, will open tomorrow, Aug 29th, from 12-4pm, for the last time this year. No need to book, plenty to look at on the surface if things are busy below ground. More information on the Cuckfield Nuclear Bunker FB page. Our photo shows Ed and Mark with Lin Wood in 2018, whose husband Derek led the post when it was operational.

14 members of the East Grinstead U3A Out and About Walking Group visited Cuckfield recently. Retired Church Architect N...
25/08/2026

14 members of the East Grinstead U3A Out and About Walking Group visited Cuckfield recently. Retired Church Architect Nick Rowe led them expertly round the village, calling in at the Church and the Old School where we admired the Millennium map of the village embroidered by a group of skilled Cuckfield needlewomen, see photo. We looked into the garden at Ockenden Manor and ended with a visit to the Museum. The Museum is always happy to arrange tours of the village for different groups.

The Museum is lovely and cool on hot days. Lots of dinosaur activities for children too. Come and find out about the C...
14/08/2026

The Museum is lovely and cool on hot days. Lots of dinosaur activities for children too. Come and find out about the Cuckfield iguanodon!

Susan Lacey returned this week with the little devotional book, "The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis", taken to t...
06/08/2026

Susan Lacey returned this week with the little devotional book, "The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis", taken to the Western Front during WWI by her grandfather, Frederick Manvell. The family recently came to see the Dorothy bag belonging to Frederick that they had donated some years ago (see our post on July 26th) and this tiny book completes the family display. We plan to display the book at Armistice time this year.

'Two sisters, Angela Feuz and Susan Lacey, recently met their Canadian cousin, John Wood, in the Museum. Angela lives i...
26/07/2026

'Two sisters, Angela Feuz and Susan Lacey, recently met their Canadian cousin, John Wood, in the Museum. Angela lives in Switzerland and had not seen John for over 30 years and all three had come to see the World War 1 Dorothy bag which their family had generously donated to the Museum in the past. The bag had been tied round the neck of their grandfather, Frederick Manvell, of Steeple Cottage, Haywards Heath when he was gassed in 1918. Thousands of such bags were made by needlewomen and sent to the Front to be used in dressing stations to prevent soldiers being separated from their means of identification. Frederick's regimental buttons and badges were tied in a handkerchief and placed in the bag and though he recovered, he always kept the bag intact. The bags, made from scraps of fabric, are extremely rare and to have one with the original contents is a treasure indeed which is why it is on permanent display in the Museum. John also brought a tiny volume of prayers which Frederick carried with him in France and which the family have kindly offered to give to the Museum to complete this family display.

Photos show John, Angela and Susan; the Dorothy bag (named by the troops after the bag carried by a bride on her wrist) and the contents of the bag.'

Cuckfield Royal Observer Post Nuclear Bunker will be open this coming weekend, Sat 18th July 12-4pm and Sunday 19th July...
12/07/2026

Cuckfield Royal Observer Post Nuclear Bunker will be open this coming weekend, Sat 18th July 12-4pm and Sunday 19th July 10-1pm.
No need to book, just come along. Plenty to look at on the surface at busy times. More details on the Cuckfield ROC Nuclear Bunker page.

We were delighted to receive this photo a few weeks ago from a member of the Newnham family. It shows Charles Newnham in...
29/06/2026

We were delighted to receive this photo a few weeks ago from a member of the Newnham family. It shows Charles Newnham in 1939 celebrating 50 years in business as a shoemaker in Cuckfield High St. His business was originally in the right hand one of the pair of handsome bow fronted houses (still called Cobblers) but he later moved to the left hand because of the flat fronted shop window. The Newnham family were large and well known in Cuckfield and their shop features in a Then and Now display in the Museum..

The Museum will remain closed for the rest of the week because of the extreme heat. We look forward to welcoming visitor...
25/06/2026

The Museum will remain closed for the rest of the week because of the extreme heat. We look forward to welcoming visitors again next week when it's a bit cooler.

Another interesting talk at the Queen's Hall this week when Malcolm Davison looked at the Cuckfield clockmaker Edward Ba...
19/06/2026

Another interesting talk at the Queen's Hall this week when Malcolm Davison looked at the Cuckfield clockmaker Edward Bates (1767-1845) and the diary he kept recording life in the village at the time of the Napoleonic Wars and possible invasion. Malcolm has decoded some parts of the diary written in cipher which raise as many questions as answers! The Museum has a transcription of the diary and some rare examples of Bates' work including this C18th one handed wall alarm clock and a pocket watch from 1793, still with its original case and key. The pocket watch keeps perfect time!

Address

Cuckfield Museum, Queen's Hall, High Street
Cuckfield
RH175EL

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 12:30pm
Thursday 10am - 12:30pm
Friday 10am - 12:30pm
Saturday 10am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+447857815880

Website

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