PAINTINGS SAVED FOR THE COUNTY

A UNIQUE archive of watercolour drawings of Herstmonceux Castle has been preserved for the county following a successful public appeal.

By The Newsroom

Published 6th Oct 2006, 14:44 BST

Updated 7th Jun 2018, 22:36 BST

The drawings, produced by Lewes artists James Lambert and his nephew in 1776, have been protected thanks to an appeal by the Friends of the East Sussex Record Office which managed to raise more than 7,000.

This was added to a 4,500 grant from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council/Victoria and Albert Museum.

The watercolours will be available for the public to enjoy the Record Office in Lewes.

Lord Dacre paid 110 to Lambert on the completion of his commission on August 26, 1777.

Lord Lieutenant, Phyllida Stewart-Roberts, held a reception at the castle on Tuesday last week to celebrate the occasion.

The portfolio is particularly significant because it shows the interior of the castle before it was stripped and partly demolished.

and Pamela Combes, chairman of Friends of East Sussex Records Office.