Chance to sponsor a tile and help restore Bridge Cottage, Uckfield

People are being invited to 'Sponsor a tile' to help raise funds towards the restoration and extension of historic Bridge Cottage, Uckfield.

It will cost £1.50 to sponsor one tile.

Plans have been submitted by the Uckfield Preservation Society to Wealden Council to refurbish the building. The work is expected to cost in the region of £700,000.

"The prime use of the cottage will be to encourage heritage learning through the support of historic, artistic and craft activities," says a leaflet from the society.

But there are also plans to re-create an open hall on the first floor of the building and use it as a meeting room.

Removing the second floor which is there at the moment will give visitors an an impression of how the house would have been when first built in 1436.

In those days it would have been open from the ground to the beamed roof and there would have been a fire in the middle of the hall.

"This open hall will offer a magnificent meeting room, particularly for cultural and artistic events," says the preservation society leaflet.

"Under floor heating will be installed driven by a ground source heat pump whilst the whole roof cladding will be removed to allow it to be insulated with sheep's wool before re-tiling."

More helpers are needed to help restore and run the heritage centre.

People particularly needed are those with the following skills: fund-raising, project management, marketing, multi-media, visualisation design, low energy lighting design, web design.

For more information please contact Mick Harker on 01825 765684.