The West Hoathly Local History Group was founded in 1983 by Sheila Allen and a collection of historical local photographs was started in about 1990. Since then the amount of material has grown rapidly and in 2008 the West Hoathly Local History Archive was established as a separate entity specifically to maintain, develop and publicise the collection.

The Archive currently consists of around 850 photographs, 350 documents, 50 maps and 12 recordings of reminiscences together with various artefacts.

Click here to listen
to Nellie Bond recorded
by Bob Sellens in 1987,
when she was aged
about ninety.

The maps and photographs are mostly in digital form as well as copies and originals. The digitisation of the documents is about half completed.

An exhibition of all of the material is held annually and an exhibition of the photographs only is held bi annually as part of the Street Fair.

We also hold Archive Evenings between September and April when small groups can study any part of the collection in detail.

Look out for dates of events on the Hoathly Hub Calendar!

Please contact the Archive on 01342 810458
if you would like to come to an Archive Evening or if you have anything which might be of interest.

Archivist: Dr John E Ralph
assisted by Anthony Smith and Julia Walker

A few examples from the collection are shown below - click to see a bigger picture:

1. 

   Smuggler's Row, Church Hill, in about 1890

2. 

   The New Inn, Selsfield Road, in about 1890

3. 

   Sharpthorne Garage, Top Road, in about 1930

4. 

   The ARP at Hoathly Hill in 1938

5. 

   The West Hoathly School cricket team in 1897

6. 

   The Rubidge family at the 2010 Exhibition