RARE SURVIVING TIMBER BUILDING - When Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, the dig was not much to look at. A lot of sand and a small entrance, amongst a desert of dunes. But once inside, the small chamber, the Egyptologist realised that the monument was intact. Hence was a treasure trove.

The old Generating Works in Lime Park is not of outstanding design or construction (except for the use of redwood and architrave). The astonishing fact is that it remains extant, where others have been demolished by property developers, or rotted away. Indeed, many former residents in Lime Park, and two recent newcomers, have not grasped that this is all that is left as evidence of our transition from coal, to electricity. The only example surviving anywhere on the planet of its kind, including load levelling via a giant battery store proportional to the enterprise, comprising roughly half of the building, with substantial shelves where weighty glass lead-acid batteries were stored, to power the whole village of Herstmonceux, and Lime Part estate, overnight.

Following a site survey and subsequent Report by London University's Archaeology South East in 1999, East Sussex County Council admitted this industrial complex to their Site Monument Record (SMR) under reference number: MES23175.

MONUMENT TYPE: POWER STATION

EVIDENCE: EXTANT BUILDING

NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE: TQ 6364 1224  (TQ61SW)

CIVIL PARISH: HERSTMONCEUX

DISTRICT: WEALDEN

ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTIFICATION AREA: 1621  CHAPEL ROW  (ACTIVE)  DES10982

The Trust needs help to maintain this interesting industrial complex. The buildings have no reasonable or beneficial use, the local authority doing all they can to prevent conservation. Placing manifold obstacles in the way, where they should be helping those interested in restoring the historic asset, to achieve that ideal. As of June 2022, the chief executive Trevor Scott, and taxation officers (Michael Wakefield) have refused to confirm the legality of renting parts of the property, to generate an income. Sussex police may need to be called in to investigate what appears to be negligence, or institutionalised discrimination, both of which are common law criminal offences of malfeasance in public office - after R v Dytham [1979] 1 QBD 722, (1979) 69 Crim App R 722.

Additionally, in 1999, Herstmonceux Generating Station was included on Step 4 of a Monument Protection Programme (MPP) undertaken on behalf of English Heritage (now Historic England).

There are two entries for East Sussex on this record, the other being Batemans, Rudyard Kipling's home at Burwash. Kipling's installation powered 10 light bulbs internal to Batemans.

You can visit the record at TheKeep, in person or via their online search service. Or see HER, the Historic Environment Record of East Sussex County Council.

LINKS & REFERENCE

https://www.thekeep.info/east-sussex-historic-environment-record-her/
https://www.thekeep.info/collections/getrecord/ESHER_MES23175