Priest House

About the museum

The Priest House in West Hoathly is a timber-framed building from the 15th century. It was put up as an estate office for the Priory of St Pancras at Lewes, from where the priory managed its land around the village. After the dissolution of the monasteries the property passed to the Crown and later into private hands. It is traditionally linked with Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, Anne of Cleves, Mary I and Elizabeth I, although there is no evidence that any of them stayed here.

For about two centuries the house was let by absent landlords and fell into poor repair. In 1908 John Godwin King bought it and had it restored. He furnished it with country furniture, ironwork and everyday objects of the 17th and 18th centuries that he had collected, and the house was opened to visitors. In 1935 he gave the house and its contents to the Sussex Archaeological Society, which still looks after it as part of Sussex Past.

Today the house presents life in a modest rural home through its rooms and collection, which includes a suffragette handkerchief embroidered with signatures. The cottage garden outside is planted with more than 170 culinary, medicinal and household herbs. The resident curator gives tours of the house and garden on request, and school groups can use the house to learn about how people lived before electricity, central heating and modern plumbing.

Highlights

• Early 15th-century timber-framed house, Grade II* listed
• Furniture and domestic objects of the 17th and 18th centuries
• Cottage garden with more than 170 herbs
• Suffragette handkerchief embroidered with signatures
• Tours by the resident curator on request

Permanent exhibition

• The Priest House – The furnished rooms of the timber-framed house show country furniture, ironwork and domestic objects of the 17th and 18th centuries, with a herb garden outside.

Founded

1908

Operated by

Sussex Archaeological Society (Sussex Past)

Admission & discounts

Children under 5 and members of the Sussex Archaeological Society enter free. Paying with Gift Aid gives free entry for 12 months.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Only assistance dogs are allowed in the house and garden. The visitor pages give no further information on step-free access or toilets.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Children can learn how the house was built and furnished and what daily life was like without electric light or central heating. School groups can handle artefacts on guided visits. Children under 5 enter free and there are two family tickets.

Getting there & parking

The village is just off the M23, near East Grinstead, Crawley and Haywards Heath.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available

There is no café on site; places to eat and drink are a short walk away in West Hoathly village.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit