THOUSANDS of residents across East Sussex are continuing to campaign against the potential closure of a popular landmark.
An open letter has been sent to Queen’s University, the Canadian landowner, to urge it to reconsider plans not to renew the lease to the popular Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux.
It included supportive testimonials from over 300 concerned members of the local and national community, including teachers, parents, councillors and academics. A petition urging the lease’s renewal has so far received over 11,000 signatures.
The Observatory Science Centre (OSC) in Herstmonceux, Sussex, once the home of the UK’s Royal Greenwich Observatory, may close in 2026, if the lease isn’t extended.
A spokesperson from the campaign said: “The OSC is a popular STEM education centre, its famous green domes and hands-on science experiments a hit with children and amateur astronomers alike. Its telescopes and domes are Grade II* listed and a rich part of the UK’s science heritage.
The observatory site contains most of the remaining instruments and buildings of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. It is also important for its architectural heritage. Designed by Brian O’Rorke, FRIBA, who previously created ocean liner interiors for the Orient Shipping Company, the observatory is unique for its copper domes and lily pond.”
The Science Centre has been bringing science to East Sussex for nearly 30 years after taking over the Observatory in 1995. At the opening ceremony, astronomer Patrick Moore described it as “Saved for science!”
The text of the open letter can be found here on the campaign’s website: www.herstmonceuxobservatory.com/
