Golden date for Arundel Museum Society

But now, members of Arundel Museum Society can celebrate a significant achievement of their very own, recorded for posterity on the wall of their impressive new heritage centre, now nearing completition beside the River Arun.

The Duke of Norfolk unveiled a plaque marking the society’s 50th anniversary and praised the group for its determination to keep going through difficult times in recent years, when it lost its “home” in High Street and had had to survive moves to two temporary bases.

“It’s only due to the perseverance of the society, of Pauline (Carder, society chairman) and Rosemary (Hagedorn, vice-chairman), and others that we are where we are today,” the Duke told a large crowd of well-wishers gathered for the unveiling in Mill Road.

Commenting on the donation of the site for the new museum, Pauline said: “None of this would have been possible without the generosity and support of the Arundel Castle trustees, the Norfolk Estate and Angmering Park Estate.”

She also thanked the Heritage Lottery Fund for its grant of almost £1million for the project, Arun District Council, Arundel Town Council and many other groups and individuals for their donations, and construction firm Geoffrey Osborne for a cabin used at first as a temporary display and now a base for museum volunteers.

Arundel mayor Michael Tu presented Pauline with a cheque for £18,000 towards the society’s appeal for the new building during the ceremony.

The society also brought in many thousands of pounds through its own fund-raising efforts over the past five years since launching its appeal.

The new museum, costing £1,439,500, is due to open in the spring, and ,as well as displaying a selection of the society’s 3,500-strong collection of historical artefacts, will also house the town’s information centre, a shop, gallery, education and research areas and library, with the emphasis on community use.

The original museum opened in 1964, in the old town jail beneath Arundel Town Hall.