800 years of history are packed into a 13 acre moated island of East Sussex countryside near Hailsham. From medieval monks through turbulent Tudors to wartime evacuees, Michelham Priory is a fascinating day out.
And there’s a café serving great coffee and some of the best cakes we’ve sampled!
So come with us as we spend the day at Michelham Priory, tucked away near the village of Upper Dicker.
Discover medieval life at Michelham Priory
Although little of the original priory buildings remain, the whole site is steeped in history.
It was a glorious autumn day, so we decided to make the most of the sunshine and stroll around the grounds first to get a feel for the place.
Autumn leaves, calling birds, blue skies and barely a hum of traffic, it didn’t take much imagination to develop a calm and peaceful monastic mindset.
Except, Michelham was probably never that peaceful!
Founded by the Augustinian order in 1229, Michelham was the pet project of French nobleman Gilbert de Aquila. It flourished at first with a large church, cloisters and courtyards. Later the River Cuckmere was diverted to create a moat and an impressive gatehouse was added.
It was designed to be self-supporting with livestock, an orchard, a kitchen garden for vegetables and herbs, and the all important Physic Garden packed with the plants the infirmarer used to treat disease and injuries.
But despite this obvious bounty, it seems Michelham couldn’t stay out of trouble.
First Gilbert himself lost some lands and honours for racketing off to Normandy without King Henry III’s permission, then the prior was fined not once but twice for ‘exercising illegal privileges’.
Just how many rules he was breaking isn’t clear, but documents displayed in the Prior’s Room suggest he was selling off land and goods to line his own pockets, leaving his monks (known as canons in this particular order) in poor health.
Despite a royal visit by King Edward 1 in 1302, the priory went from bad to worse and by 1398 was said to be in a ruinous condition.
Tudor troubles
Then along came Henry VIII, whose dissolution of the monasteries sealed Michelham’s fate.
In 1537, it was seized and given first to Thomas Cromwell, then to Anne of Cleves as part of her divorce settlement.
For the next few hundred years Michelham was passed on and on, through a number of noble families, until it was finally bought in 1896 by the Gwynnes.
Michelham at peace – and war
James Gwynne bought Michelham as a family home, and it’s where his three children grew up. Despite a devastating fire early on in the project, the restoration work went ahead until by the early 20th century it was in fine form.
When WW2 broke out, the Gwynnes opened their doors to house a group of London school children, and their daughter Violet set about making them feel at home.
The evacuees’ bedroom, restored to how it would have been in the early days of the war, contains belongings, photos and some touching original letters written by the children.
While some put on a brave face, others were clearly overwhelmed with homesickness.
When the children returned to London, Michelham became a base for Canadian troops, and later it was the East Sussex headquarters of the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
Today Michelham is run by the Sussex Archaeological Society, and benefits from its links with other historic sites like Fishbourne Roman Palace, Lewes Castle and the Priest House at West Hoathly. This means they can share expertise and artefacts and mount special exhibitions.
On some weekends and during special events, you may find re-enactors in costume, demonstrating skills like spinning and braiding, and in the grounds you can watch archery displays and maybe have a go yourself.
They also run seasonal events with hands-on activities, so worth checking in advance.
Currently, they have a display of delicate paintings of Sussex flowers, all done by amateur botanists. With many of these plants now in decline, it’s a beautiful record of local nature.
The grounds and house are compact, and you can easily do the whole place in half a day. But we were there until closing time, happily absorbing it all.
The Ghosts of Michelham Priory
Well, it’s been around so long, it’s inevitable that it has a reputation for being haunted.
A Grey Lady has been seen by the moat, a black hooded monk drifts through the undercroft and a little girl called Rosie hides in the wood panelling at the top of the stairs.
Former owner Thomas Sackville is said to stride through the premises, and there’s a young boy in the kitchens, a maid in the hall, and a lady dressed in Tudor clothing walking the corridors.
But on a bright and sunny day, we felt no frisson of fear nor heard any ghostly footsteps.
Maybe next time …
Getting to Michelham Priory
It’s in a rural area with no direct public transport, so you’ll need to have your own. The priory is 8 miles north-west of Eastbourne, just off the A22/A27. It’s open throughout the year, with shorter opening times in the winter months.
Prices in 2022 are £11 for entry to the house and gardens, children are £5.50 and there’s a family ticket for £29.
Keep an eye on their website for special, seasonal events.
Accessibility at Michelham Priory
The gardens, ground floor of the house, café, barn and courtyard area are all accessible with gravelled paths throughout most of the grounds.
Ramps can be provided, and you can borrow a wheelchair if required.
There is a 3D virtual tour of the upper rooms for those who cannot manage the stairs, and sensory tours can be arranged in advance.
Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere and dogs on a short lead can walk in the gardens, except when there are special events taking place.
In the grounds you’ll find a children’s playground, gift shop and plants sales.
Oh, and that café we mentioned?
They use local produce from the priory grounds, and the cakes are baked on site.
We couldn’t resist the sausage rolls (one traditional, one vegan) and the vegan chocolate and black cherry cake was lush.
Pork Belly lived up to his cake-loving reputation by indulging in not one, but two – a light Victoria sponge and a delectable apple cake, made with fruit straight from the priory’s orchard. Food photos? Sorry no! He says it’s rude to take photos with your mouth full! Although he did mumble, ‘this is delicious’.
All photographs copyright ©rosemaryandporkbelly
Where to next?
• Hever Castle
• A pocketful of Rye
• Mystery and magic at The Manor