Maurice Speaks!
Greetings and welcome to my new slot...
Every now and then I’m going to swivel ponderously in my chair and focus my attention on some of the other great institutions/visitor attractions or just really nice places to visit in the area we all know (and love) as Purfleet- those amazing unsung places and people right on the RSPB Rainham Marshes doorstep- some literally on the doorstep. Take my first port of call for instance the hidden stone vaulted den that is the Purfleet Heritage Centre.
The PHC has, like Cardiff, haunted my imagination for quite some time; both so close yet so mystically far away- Cardiff down the M4 and the PHC just a stones’ throw away from our visitor centre across the Mardyke bridge yet I had never managed to pay it a visit. I found this mealy mouthed attitude of mine rather remiss and so one bright Sunday morning with the help of an excellent and very knowledgeable chap called Peter who volunteers there we set off ala’ Sir John Mandeville on our tour through the (for me) uncharted vistas of Purfleet. Having seen off some wandering Blemmyae and Cynocephali and after a period of time not exceeding 2 minutes we arrived at our stony elongated destination- the Purfleet Heritage Centre-or No.5 Magazine as it is technically called.
How can one describe the wondrousness of the PHC? A similarity to a certain time lord’s conveyance springs to mind: bigger on the inside than the outside. The old stone edifice just keeps going, and to do it justice one should spend a good 2-3 hours immersed in a bygone world of transistor wireless sets and camp coffee. Peter introduced me to Alan who runs the centre and over strong tea he gave me a potted history of the building and its role in local history. We grabbed our steaming mugs and went for a wander through the treasure stuffed labyrinth of time. The building itself (the last of its kind sad to say) is impressive enough at 150ft long with walls in some places over 5 feet thick. Why all this stone? The reason is deadly simple; the building (and its four siblings- long demolished) was built to hold massive amounts of explosive at a time when we were at war with the continental powers (1759-60) Tons upon tons of high explosive were held in the five “Royal Gunpowder Magazines” and Purfleet was chosen as a safe location easily accessible by river but still far enough away from London in case anything went wrong.
The vaulted chambers are stuffed to the rafters with an amazing array of local and military history. There be an incredible amount of artefacts crammed within; from a Victorian bedpan to an actual Andersen air raid shelter. The armed forces are all represented with uniforms, original maps, medals; not to mention in one turn of the atmospheric tunnel a collection of WW2 ordinance; bullets and bombs! Alan explained how Purfleet and the area we now know and love as RSPB Rainham Marshes was used as part of UK military defence in both world wars.
On my second visit (I really couldn’t keep away) I brought along some extra bods in the shape of RSPB representatives Nicole and Jen who were allowed to try on several hats and play with large guns. I (hidden behind the stockades) took various photographic images which I think you will agree are better fitted to the pages of Combat & Survival than Nature’s Home. We all had a fabulous time traversing the atmospheric building which was by this time beginning to fill up with other wandering souls enticed in by the sign for tea and local culture.
Sojourning into the beating heart of the ghostly interior one may be surprised to find a display detailing the life and times of one Count Dracula. Purfleet looms large in the novel by Bram Stoker, who was himself intimate with the village of Purfleet. In his novel Stoker situates his sanatorium Carfax Abbey in Purfleet this is where is strange boxes of earth are deposited- earth from the nasty counts Transylvania he needs in order to survive and prosper in his new homeland just a few miles from the millions of necks in the teeming metropolis. Again, Jen and Nicole grasped the opportunity to vamp it up in the catacombs and frighten the life out of passersby (fangs a lot ladies).
Alan explained how Purfleet and the area we now know and love as RSPB Rainham Marshes was used as part of UK military defence in both world wars. It is important to point out the shared history of RSPB Rainham and the heritage centre as both areas were at one time under the control of the MoD. Indeed our reserve was used for military purposes from before WW1 right the way through the 20th century.
We can show visitors who have a shared interest in military history with visitors to the Heritage Centre our machine gun tower used to shoot down a German Zeppelin in March 1916 and retell the touching story of Flight Officer Michael Doulton of 601 squadron shot down on August 31st 1940 during the Battle of Britain and discovered still in his Hurricane in excavations in the 1980s. I found rather than the Mardyke river being a boundary between our reserve and the culture of Purfleet it is actually a strong link, a link to our shared past and a link forging a strong 21st century relationship within and for the local community.
If you find yourself in the environs of Purfleet, perhaps after you’ve spent a morning chasing short eared owls or great crested grebes in RSPB Rainham Marshes please do venture over the river Mardyke to the heritage centre where Alan, Peter, John or Len will give you a very warm local welcome. The centre is open Thursday/Sunday and Bank holiday Mondays through the year. For more info you can get hold of the team at 01708 890874 www.purfleet-heritage.com or email alan.gosling@rocketmail.com Just drop by if the grebes ain't grebing or the owls aint wooing you on a wet and windy Thursday or Sunday.
And “I’ll be back” next month with another trip ‘round the Rainham Marshes reserve area where hopefully... There Be Dragons!...
M