2000: Cuckfield officially enjoys global fame
- andyrevell
- 16 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The Middy June 29 2000
Cuckfield was placed on the world map with the unveiling of a monument to Gideon Mantell.
The village now officially enjoys global fame as the site of the discovery of the first dinosaur by the previously unsung pioneer Dr Mantell.
And the ceremony marked the successful end to a personal crusade by Cuckfield resident Brian Cox to have Mantell’s work recognised at its most significant point – the discovery spot on Whitemans Green.
Mr Cox, a retired civil engineer, has campaigned for the monument for the past quarter of a century. His efforts were boosted by teaming up with Lewes-based Prehistoric Promotions, a partnership between environmentalist Andy Ottaway and geologist Dr Mike Howgate.
The trio were backed by the Cuckfield Museum Trust who wrote in support and cash from throughout the village – including the parish council, Cuckfield Society and Independent State – to see the project to fruition.
The result of an intensive final two years of work was the unveiling ceremony performed by Mr Cox in front of a large crowd which included Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames, chairman of the Museum Trust Stephen Cockburn and district councillor Peter Jones – Mid Sussex district Council gave a grant to the project.
Mr Cox said: "I suppose you could call me a dino bore!
This has been my hobby.
As an engineer, geology is part of my business and I have an interest in history, so I felt this was really worth pursuing.”
Andy Ottaway told the crowd: "We are here to commemorate a historic event in the life of Cuckfield. 178 years ago on this very spot, Gideon Mantell and his wife Mary made a truly historic discovery which has made Cuckfield famous the world over – the fossilised bones of a 125 million-year-old dinosaur, the Iguanodon.
Gideon Mantell was a pioneer of dinosaur science at a time when almost nothing was known about them. In my view he was never fully recognised for his wonderful work and that is what we are going to put right today.
This is the first and only dinosaur monument in the country.”
He thanked all those who helped with the project, including West Hoathly quarry owner Lionel Hannah who donated the Wealden sandstone for the monument.
A man of determination, energy and passion.
Gideon Mantell was a man of energy and determination that combined his many duties as a doctor with a passion for fossil hunting.
Born in Lewes in 1790 he thought nothing of visiting 40 to 50 patients a day.
He used leeches to bleed his patience how long on occasion had to amputate the leg of a young boy who became caught in the moving sales of Chailey Windmill.
Mantell somehow found time to write a daily journal and study his consuming passion, geology.
He is devoted most of his life to studying the iguanodon, the first dinosaur ever to be described in detail
Mantell is credited with the discovery of the dinosaur, but some of the credit must go to his wife Mary.
During a brief stop on a coach journey she strayed from the road at Cuckfield and noticed fossilised teeth in some gravel. Mantell traced the gravel to Whitemans Green quarry where he unearthed the remains of the dinosaur.
When he saw its jaw he realised that the teeth were the same shape as the teeth of an iguana and called his discovery Iguanodon (meaning lizard tooth).
He tried to reconstruct the dinosaur based on his knowledge of lizards, but his drawings weren't quite right.
He thought the iguanodon’s thumb button was a horn on its nose and drew the creature walking on all fours. We know now that the dinosaur walked upright on his powerful hind legs.
Besides discovering and naming this reptile of the ancient world, Mantell wrote several books on Sussex geology, including fossils of the South Downs and the geology of the south-east of England. His books find the public's imagination and in 1834 several dinosaur replicas were erected in the grounds of Crystal Palace at Sydenham.
On one occasion a group of eminent scientists sat down to dinner inside a model iguanodon.
You can see a picture of their dinner party at Paradise Park in Newhaven.
In later life Mantell moved to Brighton where many of his fossils were put on display.
A gentleman by the name of Horace Smith esq. was so enthused by his work that he wrote a glowing poem beginning:
Columbus of the subterranean world!
Star of geology! Whose rays enlighten
What nature to her darkest depths had hurl’d
Mantell! We proudly welcome thee to Brighton.
We don't have space to reproduce the remaining 13 standards which are just as effusive!
For more on the Mantell story follow the links:-
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