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Did You Know?

Churches

The locals will tell you that if you climb to the top of the church tower at Goudhurst, Kent you will be able to see no fewer than fifty-one other churches, from Romney marsh to the North Downs. Some say its sixty-eight churches, but perhaps that was before the tower was rebuilt, less loftily, after the older one was struck by lightening in 1637.

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Museums, Libraries and Archives: Facts and Stats

Facts and stats: Museums in the South East

MLA South East represents more than 300 museums and galleries across the region, including 267 Registered or newly Accredited museums.

  • Over 10 million people visit the region's museums and galleries each year. 44% of people living in the South East visit museums at least once a year.
  • At least 65% of the regions schools use South East museums.
  • There are around 4,000 paid staff and over 7,000 volunteers working in museums in the region.
  • Approximately 60% of museums in the region are independent charities.
  • 14 museum collections within the region have been designated as of pre-eminent importance, containing material of international and national significance.
  • The region is especially rich in defence heritage museums and archives including regimental and armed services museums. Nearly one third of the UKҒs museums dedicated to the Armed Services are in the South East.


Facts and stats: Libraries in the South East

The South East has:

  • 550 public library service points and 69 mobile libraries
  • around 2,500 library collections in the major university, public, college, health, school and workplace sectors
  •  approximately 3,000 school libraries, many managed by volunteers.
  • 102 higher libraries in higher education institutions, including the Bodleian library in Oxford, one of three National Copyright Deposit Libraries in England, with a collection of global significance.
  • 105 health libraries and four NHS Direct offices and a wide range of commercial, voluntary, government and military sector libraries.
  • 420 libraries in cultural institutions such as museums and archives.
  • 148 workplace libraries identified so far in the business, voluntary, trade association and government sector, including military and government agencies.


Facts and stats: Archives in the South East

  • There are 377 archive collections and services in the South East, second only to London.
  •  Online use of archives is exploding. There have been over 425,000 Internet searches for archives in the South East in the last 3 years
  • 77% of people visiting archives in the South East are researching their family
    history
  • 90 per cent of people say they learn something when they visit archives in the South East
  • Archives provide a boost to the South Easts economy. For 87% of people, visiting the archive is their main reason for going to an area.  While there, 29% eat out locally and 36% use local shops and services.