Crowborough Town Council now runs the heritage cabinet volunteers curated since 2015, and has added a second at Pine Grove. First display: the allotments.
Crowborough’s heritage display cabinet has a new keeper. Crowborough Town Council took over from September 2026, after the volunteers who ran it for more than ten years stepped back.
The council has also added a second cabinet, at the Pine Grove Council Offices. Both now carry the council’s first display, on the history of the town’s allotments.
The details come from a council press release dated 24 September 2026 and sent to Crowborough Today, with the photographs on this page. The allotment figures below are from the council’s own website.
Where to see it
There are two cabinets, each with a different half of the allotments story:
| Cabinet | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| The original cabinet | Crowborough Community Centre | The history of allotments, “lost” local allotment sites and stories of past tenants |
| The new cabinet | Pine Grove Council Offices | The history and impact of the three council-run allotment sites still in use |
A notice on the wall above the Pine Grove cabinet, visible in the council’s photographs, says the display will be refreshed every few months.
How the cabinet started
A museum or heritage centre for Crowborough has been discussed for years, the council says. A former town clerk, David Harris, began collecting artefacts. A former councillor, Julian Salmon, made a detailed inventory.
The project moved forward through two residents, Elizabeth Fermor and Linn Law. Elizabeth had toured the heritage centre in Horwich, Crowborough’s twin town in the UK, and wanted something similar here. She was a town councillor from 2011 to 2015.
In 2014 she took a table of First World War items to the Jarvis Brook Community Association Summer Fete. It drew a lot of interest, including from Linn, a volunteer who made memory boxes for a dementia support group.
Elizabeth then put the idea of a permanent cabinet to the council’s Communications and Events Committee. The Community Centre agreed to house it, and the council formally approved it in 2015.
The two women set up the Crowborough Heritage Group to curate it. Its first display was on former Crowborough shops and businesses. The then Mayor, Councillor Ron Reed, opened the cabinet in November 2015.
Over the next ten years the group produced around fifty displays. The council says members of the Crowborough Historical Society also helped. The volunteers are handing over so they can focus on other commitments.
The Mayor, Councillor Natalie Whittle, formally thanked Elizabeth and Linn. According to the council, she said that as a local mum she always looked at the cabinet when visiting the Community Centre, found new things about Crowborough and shared them with her children. She said she looks forward to future exhibits that inspire and inform generations to come.
The three allotment sites on show
The Pine Grove display covers the council’s three allotment sites. The council’s allotments page gives the current figures for each:
| Site | Plots | Waiting list | Rent, 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herne Road, TN6 2NW | 74 | About 6 months | £41 a plot |
| Owlsbury Farm, Hadlow Down Road, TN6 3RG | 260+ | About 1 month | £21 half plot, £41 standard, £165 extra large |
| Pilmer Road, TN6 2UG | 35 | About 2 years | £41 a plot |
Each new plot also carries a £50 refundable deposit. You must live in the parish of Crowborough to rent one.
What it means for you
- Go and look. Both cabinets are in public buildings: the Community Centre and the council offices at Pine Grove.
- Offer something. The council wants ideas for future displays and historical items to show. Call 01892 652907 or email info@crowboroughtowncouncil.gov.uk.
- Want a plot yourself? Owlsbury Farm has by far the shortest wait, about a month. Pilmer Road’s is about two years. Apply on the same number or email.
For more to do around town, see our guide to things to do in Crowborough.
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