The RCHC online archive
The overall aim of the Rowlands Castle Heritage Centre is to “To establish and maintain a museum in Rowlands Castle in order to advance the education of the public in the history and heritage of the village, its former inhabitants and the surrounding area.”
Our main artefact is the D-Day Model Railway, and our ultimate aim is to find a permanent home for this, along with other items relating to the history of the village. In the meantime, we take every opportunity to display the model at village celebrations, such as the Village Fair. Our website acts as a virtual museum and our aim is to gather images and well-researched and referenced information relating to the history of Rowlands Castle, as well as links for further reading. Please find listed here our main online collections which will be of interest to the local historian. Contact the editor if you have any questions or would like to add to this.
Other local archives
The RCHC archive is complemented by documents formally held elsewhere in the Village including those of the Parish Council. Other significant village organisations hold their own archives, including St John’s School, the Rowlands Castle Association (RCA) and the Rowlands Castle Golf Club. The Golf Club, for its part, has its own volunteer archivist, who can be contacted via the editor. There are also a number of local historians who have their own research interests. Two of the three large country estates in the Village – Stansted Estate and Staunton Country Park also hold extensive archives, some of which may be available through the Stansted Archivist, or may be lodged with the Hampshire County Council Records Office. The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, Havant has a small history reading room with a collection of local history information, including a section on Rowlands Castle.