Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre, under a new Committee reopened on 2nd March with mayor, MP and local councillors in attendance. The centre is currently going through a one year refurbishment programme with a grand reopening planned for 1st March 2026. After a good start it was quickly discovered that many items were not labelled or marked correctly and a lot of paperwork is disassociated from the artefacts or items. This will add to the work load but the plan is still to reopen on time.
Shortly before our reopening our founder and former chair Alan Gosling sadly passed away. It was he who fought to save the building from demolition by Thurrock Council. The building is located in a former Royal Gunpowder Magazine, which became listed. The listing was later upgraded to Grade I and the building became a scheduled Ancient Monument. It is now considered by Historic England to be the finest remaining example of a powder magazine.
A new RAF section is nearing completion and the recreation of a magazine bay is nearly complete.The first of our new display boards is in place. The first of many, if funding allows.
Our presentations and walks are proving popular, recently adding a dementia memory walk ghost and folklore walks.
The centre has a proud connection with the local Gurkha community. The recently unveiled Gurkha monument next to the centre has been listed on the Imperial War Museum monument register https://memorials.iwm.org.uk/memorial/111267. Also an impressive 4 metre riverside silhouette display, dedicated to the 27 ex servicemen who either worked or lived at Purfleet and died during the First World War is listed https://memorials.iwm.org.uk/memorial/111280
As the centre expands it is looking for more volunteers and trustees. If interested please contact vice chair/trustee Trevor Batchelor on 07973 759516.
Museums Essex 