In early May 2022, the science lab of the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) became the nexus where hundreds of artefacts with drastically different histories, material properties, and provenance all came together. Iridescent glass fragments, WWII Royal Air Force porcelain, and archaeological iron horseshoes, all found on the grounds of Herstmonceux, currently occupy the same…
Postcards from the Past
The humble postcard is a quintessentially British souvenir. Often picked up casually at the gift shop of a historic house, art gallery or even beach front, it acts as a reminder of places visited and memories made which can be shared with friends and family back home. However, this was not always the intended purpose…
Dendroclimatology on the Herstmonceux Estate
Dendroclimatology is the study of tree rings and tree growth and can be used to study the present climate and to reconstruct climates from the past. The rings on a tree are more telling about the climate and how the environment looked hundreds of years ago than just the age of a tree. The size,…
Emerging Digital Interpretive Opportunities for Visitors at Herstmonceux Castle
While the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic social and economic impacts, the need for an escape through tourism remains steady. Heritage Tourism remains one of the industry’s most popular forms. Heritage Tourism can be as ‘travellers seeing or experiencing built heritage, living culture or contemporary arts’.[1] Encountering a site and its stories can transport…
A New Audio Trail for Herstmonceux Castle
…is the soundscape of the world an indeterminate composition over which we have no control, or are we its composers and performers, responsible for giving it form and beauty? Raymond Murray Schafer, The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the tuning of the World (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 1994), p.136 On 16th February 2022, we introduced a…
This is the Life! (1918 Edition)
The picturesque Herstmonceux Castle and its estate have featured in many a glossy magazine over the years. In 1918, just a few years into Colonel Claude Lowther’s restoration project, the castle and its grounds were featured in Country Life. Country Life, which was established in 1897 by Edward Hudson, went on to become a household…
Herstmonceux Castle in the 1921 Census
On 6th January 2022 the 1921 census, which has been closed for a century, was made available to the public for the first time. The census is a survey which, usually, is taken every ten years to provide a snapshot of all the people and households in England and Wales. The object of a census…
Medieval Medicine at Herstmonceux Castle
In a fifteenth century castle in the heart of the East Sussex countryside, a small but dedicated group of students chop herbs, grind spices and carefully measure liquids into glass bottles. Their aim is simple, to offer relief to others suffering with various medical ailments. It may surprise you to learn that this scene is…
Peter the Sheep (1914-1928): Eccentric Pet and Much-Loved Military Mascot
Located just outside of the castle’s walled gardens is a small yet poignant memorial. Within the carefully enclosed area, amid the flowers and plants, you will notice a single stone slab with the name ‘Peter’ inscribed. But who was Peter and why do we have this memorial in the castle grounds? In August 1914, war…
Herstmonceux in the Domesday Book
In 1085 King William I commissioned a huge survey of land and landholding which resulted in the iconic Domesday Book. Domesday is the most complete record of pre-industrial society to survive anywhere in the world, making it an exceptional document which offers us a unique window into the Middle Ages. For the majority of places recorded within…