Welcome to the Rowlands Castle History and Heritage Website
The idea of a Heritage Centre for Rowlands Castle came about in 2015 when Peter Goss from Harrogate offered to sell to the Village the Model Railway that he had designed and built. His model features the Village Green and Railway Station during the preparations for the Normandy Landings in June 1944 – not only an interesting working model railway, but also a veritable time capsule of those fateful times.
Our website seeks to act as an online museum – the ultimate aim is to establish a Heritage Centre, or museum in the village to house the model and celebrate the history of Rowlands Castle. In the meantime, the model is displayed at local events such as the Village Fair; and the website, run by volunteers, aims to collate stories and pictures of Rowlands Castle now and in the past.
These photographs have been provided by local residents including members of the former Photography Group, and the editor of the local RCA Magazine. The paintings were by Charles Cotton, an artist from the 19th century who lived at the almshouse, Stansted College, now demolished.
This short video was created in 2021 for the Rowlands Castle Heritage Centre. The project was undertaken by Charlie Shawcross and the Audio Visual was provided by Claude and Philip Trew. Using high-quality still and moving images along with an informative narrative, it provides the story and heritage of this vibrant community.
On 6th July 2022, BBC South Today’s “On the Map” segment featured Rowlands Castle. Residents describe why they love living in the village – and the D-day Model Railway takes pride of place!