Manor Cottage Heritage Centre

About the museum

Manor Cottage is the oldest house in Southwick. A timber-framed open hall was built here around the middle of the fifteenth century, probably for a prosperous yeoman farmer or the bailiff of an estate then owned by Reigate Priory. After the priory was dissolved in 1538 the land was sold on, and by the end of the sixteenth century it was bought by Henry Smith of London, whose estate later passed to Smith's Charity.

Around 1600 the house was heavily modernised, with a new chimney, fireplace and oven, rooms on a first floor and a west wing, and its walls were clad in flint. In the nineteenth century it came into the ownership of the Hall family of the neighbouring Manor House and was lived in by local workers. For many years it was occupied as two cottages, and in about 1965 the last tenants left because the building was judged unfit for habitation. The unsafe west end was demolished around 1973.

The Southwick (Sussex) Society, formed in 1973, took a 99-year lease from Adur District Council in 1982 and restored the building, mostly with volunteer labour. A legacy and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant later made it possible to rebuild the lost west wing. The cottage opened as a heritage centre on 23 April 1994 and is the society's headquarters. It now holds exhibitions on the history of Southwick and Fishersgate and has a small shop selling local history books.

Highlights

• Grade II listed timber-framed house dating from about the mid 15th century
• Restored by volunteers since 1982, including a rebuilt west wing
• Changing exhibitions on the history of Southwick and Fishersgate
• Shop with local history books, pamphlets and souvenirs

Founded

1994

Operated by

Southwick (Sussex) Society (registered charity no. 284197)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The cottage is at 16/18 Southwick Street, just north of Southwick Square on the eastern side of the road.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop selling local history books, pamphlets and souvenir items.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.