A time capsule has been buried inside the oven of the kitchen at Highcliffe Castle.

The Count Rumford Oven, which is no longer in working order, is part of the original kitchen layout and dates back to when the castle was first built in the 1830’s. The oven has recently undergone careful repair and preservation along with an Eagle range which is also situated in the kitchen.

The team involved in the restoration work decided that the oven would be an ideal place for a time capsule and would leave a legacy of the present-day.

The contents in the time capsule include: Castle memorabilia, castle literature and a short piece on the history of the castle as well as current money, photos of the project team who worked on the development of the East Wing, the current staff team and the team of volunteers.

Kate Ingham, Heritage Team Leader at Highcliffe Castle said, “We decided to mark this recent phase of the work to the castle by burying a time capsule for a future generation to discover. This is an exciting time for the castle and its team and we are looking forward to the opening of the East Wing from early April onwards, with an official opening in late May 2019.”

The restoration of the castle’s East Wing has predominantly been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, with further support from The Wolfson Foundation, Country Houses Foundation, The Pilgrim’s Trust, Christchurch and East Dorset Council and carried out by Greendale Construction Ltd. The repair and preservation of the Rumford Oven and Eagle range was completed by Context Engineering Ltd