Midhurst Museum was established in 2011 by private benefactors, Peter and Gill Nightingale, and remains Midhurst’s only museum
The Museum opened its doors in December 2011 at the Midhurst Christmas Street Party. Space was limited then to one room measuring 8’ 6’’ by 8’ 6’’ making it possibly the smallest museum in the world.
Two of our Trustees on opening day:
Peter and Gill Nightingale (Peter left) were the inspiration for the Museum.
Dave Rudwick (right) is the source of many interesting and eclectic collections.
All three have been the energy and driving force behind the Museum for the last 13 years.
We house a permanent exhibition on the history of Midhurst and the surrounding villages, a diverse collection of objects and collectibles, many with relevance to Midhurst’s past times and businesses, and we host monthly themed displays curated by local private collectors, enthusiasts and organisations. Recent exhibitions include A History of the Rainbows, Shopping with Mother – Midhurst’s Shops, 80th Anniversary of D-Day, The Angel Hotel and Marmite!
We are proud to have welcomed over 65,200 visitors since we opened. The last three years have seen a steady increase in visitor numbers to just over 5,900 people last year. These have included locals as well as visiting tourists from the UK and overseas, school and Scout groups, collectors and researchers. Visitors engage very well with the exhibits as evidenced in the comments from our Visitors’ Book;
“Fascinating, wonderful display. What memories!”, George from Midhurst.
“A beautiful, eclectic and important collection.” Mark and family from Tasmania.
“So pleased to have stumbled on this treasure trove of history. Fantastic Museum!”, Nick, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
“Need to have some Marmite on toast now! Really enjoyed the display”, Rosie from Stedham.
“I liked seeing my friends in Rainbows”, Nadia, aged 6, from Midhurst.
The Museum remains volunteer-led and staffed. We are a committed and friendly group of people of different ages and abilities and we get as much out of our volunteering as our visitors do from visiting.
The Museum has been generously privately funded for many years by the founders, but we are now laying the foundations to sustain it long into the future. Last year we established the Midhurst Museum Association as a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
It is our ethos not to charge for entry to the Museum to ensure it remains accessible to everyone.