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Dave Rudwick’s home is a treasure trove of Midhurst history, with boxes full of everything from knick-knacks to social artefacts.

It’s no surprise. He’s been a devoted collector since the early seventies, when he started collecting milk bottles, and now volunteers his time as a curator at Midhurst Museum, where his broad knowledge and large collection go on display

But one of the most interesting pieces in his collection is a “tatty” little table containing a fragment of Midhurst history.

Hidden in the centre of the piece is the mortarboard used by His Majesty King Edward VII to lay the foundation stone of the sanitorium built in his name between 1903 and 1906.

The mortarboard is hidden in this nondescript table

"The woman who gave it to me, her father worked at the King Edward VII Sanitorium and, somehow, he acquired the mortarboard and made it into a table to preserve it,” Mr Rudwick said.

“So what you’ve got is a square piece of wood, about a foot square, and of course it’s quite marked on the top and seems to have been made with second hand timber. So, if you looked at it, you might think ‘what an awful table, why would anyone want that?’”

But, the table’s true nature is actually hidden inside, waiting for anyone curious enough to venture past it’s battered exterior.

“What you have to do is flip the table upside down, pull the drawer out and there is this silver plaque on the bottom of the mortarboard.”

It reads: "this centre was used as a mortar board by King Edward VII on laying the foundation stone of the King Edward VII Sanitorium, Midhurst. Nov 3 1903."

The plaque reads: “This centre was used as a mortarboard by His Majesty King Edward VII on laying the foundation stone of the King Edward VII Sanitorium, Midhurst. Nov 3rd 1903.”

It’s a real find, and a very real piece of town history.

The King Edward VII Sanitorium was originally built to treat patients of tuberculosis, in accordance with what were then state of the art principles of medical care.

Leading doctors of the day believed in the power of rest, relaxation and fresh air to heal the sick, so the building was designed to incorporate plenty.

The Sanitorium was eventually turned into an NHS Hospital and operated as such until it was closed in 2006.

It sat empty and abandoned until developers City and County purchased the site in 2009, and has now been converted into a series of high-quality apartments for assisted living.

"Tatty" little table contains piece of Midhurst history