The Samuel Wickens Centre is the new home of Rustington Museum. Located in the heart of Rustington Village alongside the Information and Community Centres. Rustington Parish Council (RPC) manages Rustington Museum with support from the Rustington Heritage Association. The Rustington Heritage Association was formed in 1983, and in 1989 the first museum was opened in two rooms leased from Rustington Parish Council in Woodlands Avenue.
Accreditation was achieved in 2006 with the move to the museum's previous home at Church Farm Cottages. Our new exhibitions have something for everyone. We have a family trail, an interactive where you can explore the streets of Rustington and an oral history hub to listen to memories from the past.
Accreditation was achieved in 2006 with the move to the museum's previous home at Church Farm Cottages. Our new exhibitions have something for everyone. We have a family trail, an interactive where you can explore the streets of Rustington and an oral history hub to listen to memories from the past.
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From the first shop in Sea Lane to the retail parks on the village outskirts, Rustington has had many varied shops, making it is great place to visit and indulge in some retail therapy. By displaying old with the new, the exhibition celebrates the businesses and follows the sites through the generations.
In the sections below you can explore the life of Harry Clark from his early years and time in the RAF, to becoming Rustington's first librarian. He was also very active in the Rustington Heritage Association and Littlehampton & District Camera Club. There are photos of the objects from the displays such as RAF memorabilia and images from the text panels.
The collections originated in the 1980s when Mary Taylor a local resident born and brought up in the village first started documenting the history of Rustington in several books. The research for these books created such a vast amount of material relating to the history of Rustington that it was suggested that this material should be collected, preserved and made more accessible to the local community.
We accept artefacts, but sadly due to limited storage and exhibition space we cannot say yes to everything. We hope you understand. The Heritage Association members volunteer in various roles, our collections are on display and our archives are available in the museum's local studies room. We are grateful to our supporters without their generosity we would not be able to share the fascinating story of Rustington's history with you.
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Adrian Wales
Jul 12, 2021
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