Welcome to the Leigh Society Website The Leigh Society was founded in the late 1970s as a result of several likeminded people getting together to campaign about proposals for a ‘Road to the West’ which would have decimated Leigh Old Town. Flowing from that the group formed themselves into a society and focussed on restoring the Old Smithy in the Old Town to form the Heritage Centre which has been open ever since as a museum of Leigh. The Society has grown from strength to strength and now has three arms.   The Leigh Society The Leigh Heritage Centre Limited 2 Plumbs Yard Project Limited The 2 limited companies are also charities The aims of the three are – The Leigh Society – to promote high standards of planning and architecture in the Leigh Conservation Areas and to secure the preservation of feature of historic and public interest. The Leigh Heritage Centre Limited – to provide and maintain a museum in the Old Leigh Conservation Area for the advancement of the education of the public and for the exhibition to the public of objects, documents, photographs and any other item whatsoever connected with the history of the town of Leigh-on-Sea. Also to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of public architectural and historical interest in the Conservation Areas of Leigh and to promote high standards of planning and architecture in or affecting those areas. The 2 Plumbs Yard Project Limited – to refurbish, protect and maintain a 19th century fisherman’s cottage, furnished with artefacts appropriate to the period, for the advancement of the education of the public and for the exhibition to the public of objects, documents, photographs and any other items whatsoever directly associated with the building.