Collection: Arundel Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Foundation in the Undercroft

  Arundel Museum Society (AMS) was founded in 1962 by a group of local people. At this time, heritage was under threat from new development and was generally undervalued. AMS set out to rescue and conserve as much as possible of Arundel’s past and aimed to create a town museum with the advice of Sussex historian, Roy Armstrong, and archaeologist, Con Ainsworth. In March 1964, the first museum was established in the old prison cells in the Undercroft of the Town Hall. In this evocative but somewhat cramped and damp environment, AMS built up displays of the history of Arundel and the surrounding villages. From the beginning, the Museum relied totally on volunteer management and stewards. It was a successful small scale attraction and one of the first independent local museums in the area, but it had limitations.

  The High Street Years

  The Museum’s first big opportunity came in 1975 when the former Borough Council Offices at 61 High Street became available. Arun District Council offered AMS the opportunity to take a lease on this Grade 2* listed Georgian building. With huge determination, AMS created a new museum which opened in 1977. At this time, AMS became a Charity. During the 1980s and 1990s, AMS faced new challenges. Standards of curatorial care became more demanding. Techniques of conservation were more complex and scientific. With a new national structure for the management of museums and galleries came the requirement for museums to be registered to show that they conformed to minimum standards of good curatorial practice. Arundel Museum was the first in the area to achieve MLA Registration, a considerable achievement. The Museum expanded into eight galleries. In 2000, the oral history archive gathered by volunteers was published as a book entitled ‘Arundel Voices’. A grant was obtained for a new display on the Port of Arundel, and this was accompanied by a new Town Trail way-marked by ceramic plaques by local potter, Josse Davies. In 2004, an art gallery was established to stage exhibitions. A regular programme of town walks, lectures and short courses was offered, and school visits were hosted. In 2005, a new formal MLA requirement, Accreditation, was introduced with more demanding benchmarks and the need for extensive documentation and policies to meet specified formats. Arundel Museum was again one of the first in the area to achieve Accreditation, which it did at the first attempt.

  An Uncertain Future

  From 2000 onwards, the Museum had operated under the shadow of an uncertain future. Arun District Council had expressed an intention to sell 61 High Street, and the lease would not be renewed. AMS tried hard to find alternative premises so that a planned move from one building to another might be achieved. Unfortunately, this proved impossible. Whilst efforts to develop a new museum carried on in the background, AMS was obliged to leave their premises in the autumn of 2007. AMS volunteers, supervised by a consultant curator, undertook the enormous task of packing every item in the collection and transferring these into stores. From 2008, Arundel Museum was able to keep a presence in the town by opening in temporary portacabin accommodation, sponsored by Geoffrey Osborne Limited and Speedy Space Limited, in the car park in Mill Road. In October 2011, the Museum moved once more to temporary accommodation, this time in Crown Yard Mews where it took on the role as the Tourist Information Point for Arundel.

  Rescue

  Returning to 2008, the Angmering Park Estate Trust, Arundel Castle Trustees and the Norfolk Estate came to the rescue and provided AMS with a vision for the future. They agreed to jointly offer an ideal prime site for a new building in the centre of the main tourist area opposite the Lower Castle Gate entrance. AMS became involved in a two-pronged attack to achieve its aims.

  • Firstly, AMS needed plans for the new building. Architect, Graham Whitehouse created plans for the building and steered AMS through the planning process, giving his time at no charge. Jonathan Potter of Potter Associates worked closely with AMS to use cutting edge design and modern technology to develop an innovative design concept for the internal displays.
  • Secondly, AMS needed to embark on a major fundraising drive to raise a total of £1.4 million to build and fit out its new permanent home in the heart of Arundel. The first step was to apply for funding to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Planning consent was obtained in March 2009. Early in 2010, the news was received that the first round bid that AMS had made to the HLF had been successful. This meant that the HLF awarded AMS a grant of £102,800 to develop and submit more detailed development plans and apply for up to a further £888,000. The second-round bid was submitted to the HLF in November 2010.At the end of March 2011, AMS heard that the second-round application to the HLF for £888,000 had been granted, subject to contract, towards the project totalling £1,414,500. This grant, together with £385,500 from Arun District Council, £50,000 raised locally during the previous year and funding from other sources, provided sufficient funding for the building to go ahead. Construction commenced in June 2012, and the Museum was officially opened by His Grace the Duke of Norfolk on 24 June 2013.The collection displays in the new purpose-built museum were selected to tell the story of Arundel from prehistory to 20th century. Illustrated by key objects and photographs in the museum gallery. This includes palaeolithic flint hand axes, artefacts from the roman period, medieval items through to Arundel Castle development and buildings, occupations and people of Arundel and its countryside. Specific cases are available for changing displays, using items from the reserve collection. Additionally, there are major Museum curated exhibitions, which draw on artefacts and documents from the Museum collection. This approach utilises the collection within the limited archive storage capacity. New acquisitions for inclusion are considered against this strategy.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The museum consists of the following collections:

  • Objects (including documents) – 2760
  • Photographs – 3746
  • Archaeological material – 725
  • Geological material – 104
  • Oral histories – 169

  These are all listed in the acquisition records and on the Modes Complete system. No more than 2% of the collection is on loan to the Museum. This includes objects from Arundel Town Council, Arundel Castle, and individuals. The remainder is owned by the Arundel Museum Society.

  The collections contain objects related to or used within Arundel and the adjacent collecting area. These include:

  • Documents
  • Maps
  • Photographs
  • Pictures and prints
  • Implements and tools formerly used by local rural and urban trades and industries
  • A collection of weights and measures
  • Objects related to local shops and trades which have now closed.
  • Domestic items
  • Clocks including made by Thomas Walder
  • Costume, fabrics and items of apparel
  • Local Archaeology, including collections of Palaeolithic and Neolithic flint tools, within the local boundaries defined by the Sussex Museums Group’s Archaeological Working Party in 2013
  • A collection of fossils
  • Building materials
  • Items relating to the River Arun and Port of Arundel and ship models.

  The Museum has a reference library with a collection of books and documentary material relating to its collections. There is an oral history archive that is digitised with audiotape master copies and transcripts.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC