A collection of drawings, letters and books by renowned artist Eric Gill has been offered to the tiny museum in the Sussex village where he lived.

When Gill died in 1940 he was an internationally acclaimed artist and sculptor, with commissions as far afield as Switzerland.

Since then he has become notorious for his eccentric lifestyle, including lifelong sexual obsessions in which adultery and incest played a part.

Described by critics as one of the most brilliant and controversial figures of the British art scene, Gill moved to Ditchling in 1907 and set up a community of Catholic craftworkers in 1913.

Describing himself simply as a stone carver, he was famous for beautiful lettering and public art commissions including figures on the head offices of London Transport.

Born in 1882 in Brighton, Gill's fascination with lettering began while watching the nameplates on trains passing near his childhood home.

As a boy he made dozens of drawings and watercolours of the engines.

Many of these were kept safe and put together by Gill's brother Evan but they were lost after his death 30 years ago.

The collection, which was found by Gill expert Roger Smith a year ago, has now been offered to Ditchling museum.

Alongside the paintings are drawings and letters about Gill's daughters, jokey letters to Evan and beautiful erotic nude drawings given as a present to his confessor Monsignor John O'Connor, the model for GK Chesterton's Father Brown.

Museum curator Rachel Bairsto hopes the acquisition of the substantial collection will give Ditchling Museum international status among Gill scholars.

Set in the centre of the village, next to St Margarets Church, the museum already has a permanent display by Gill and other members of the guild of Catholic craftsmen such as co-founder Hilary Pepler, David Jones and Edward Johnston.

But while the stone carver's work is held in galleries and museums nationally, there is no UK study centre.

Mrs Bairsto, who has started a campaign to raise the £110,000 needed to buy the whole collection, said: "It's very exciting. This is the chance for the museum to become a national resource for Eric Gill. It could put Ditchling on the map.

"There are Gill collections across America and Canada but getting this material would make ours the major resource for the UK."

Mrs Bairsto hopes the bulk of the money will come from national funding but knows some will have to be raised by the museum.

She said: "I'm filling out lots of applications to national funding agencies. I'm organising a series of little events and courses to raise money and get the village involved."

For more details on the Eric Gill acquisition, or to make a donation, call the museum on 01273 844744.