Celebrating more than 40 years of the Coultershaw Trust

The celebration was meant to take place in 2020 but had to be postponed due to Covid.

Tony Sneller, trustee and volunteer, said: “The Big Open Day was a great success, in spite of the occasional heavy showers. We had a steady stream of visitors and at times the car parks were overflowing.”

The event featured 10 organisations including Amberley Chalk Pits Museum and Petworth and Bognor Angling Club, many were in gazebos spread around the wharf on the east bank of the river.

Tony said: “Paul Ullson and David Puttock took on the roll of Neolithic and Bronze Age characters and were able to talk about their outfits and the history of the area around 4,000 years ago.”

The Coultershaw Trust was formed in 2002 to take over the care of the Beam Pump and Waterwheel.

There was a mill at Coultershaw mentioned in the Doomsday study in 1086, and the last functioning mill was demolished in 197.3

When the mill was demolished the Beam Pump was abandoned.

Tony said: “The work at Coultershaw is a real team effort.

There are more than 20 volunteers who make the Coultershaw Heritage Site the fantastic place it is.

“We have been pleased to recently welcome several new volunteers, who will be working alongside the rest of the team.

“Several of our volunteers have been involved for many years, such as 87 year old Norman Langridge who first joined the group in 1975 and still spends most Tuesday mornings strimming and cutting the grass along the river bank areas.”

Other tasks carried out by volunteers including maintaining the waterwheel and beam pump, preparing new exhibits, stewarding and welcoming visitors, acting as trustees and managing financial aspects, and researching the history of Coultershaw and its links to the Petworth area.

Tony has been a trustee since 2016 and became more involved in 2019 when he retired.

For more information on the trust, visit coultershaw.co.uk