In 1524 the Priory leased the Rectory Manor to John Browne, a “husbandman” of the parish & The Priest House became a family home.
When Henry VIII seized Lewes Priory’s property the Browne’s Manor was given to Thomas Cromwell. After his disgrace & execution the Manor formed part of the settlement of Anne of Cleves. Following her death, the Brownes paid rent to Queen Mary & then to Elizabeth I. In 1560 the Queen sold the property that had once belonged to Lewes Priory. The Brownes bought the Manor lands & The Priest House & set about modernising the building.
The house was originally an open hall, with a living room & upper chamber on the north end & a service end, with a buttery, pantry & solar, to the south. Large stone chimneys were built to replace the medieval open hearth, which enabled two new rooms to be created upstairs, each with their own fireplace. The original thatched roof was also replaced with Horsham stone.
The house remained in the hands of the Browne family for another hundred years but their fortunes were in decline & in 1695 the house & Manor had to be sold to pay off their debts. The new owner, Mrs. Anna Hooper of Barbados, split the building into two cottages for tenant farmers. For 200 years the house remained in the hands of absentee landlords who did little to maintain it.
In 1905 it was bought by John Godwin King, of Stonelands, West Hoathly. He carefully restored the building & in 1908 opened it to the public, to display his collection of locally gathered artefacts. In 1935 John Godwin King presented The Priest House & its contents to the Sussex Archaeological Society.
The House now contains a varied collection of 17th & 18th century country furniture, ironwork, embroidery & other domestic bygones, displayed in furnished rooms. It is complemented by a colourful cottage garden & small formal herb garden, which contain over 170 culinary, medicinal & household herbs.
Family History. The Priest House has transcribed & indexed copies of West Hoathly's parish records from 1606-1999 & a large number of other documents & local post cards/photographs, which are available to visitors at no extra charge. We also have close links to the West Hoathly Local History Archive, with its vast collection of local photographs, maps & documents.
Disabled Access. All visitors are welcome; however, due to the historic nature of the building there are changes of level and wheelchair access to the house is limited. Written guides to the upper parts of the house are available. There is ramped access to much of the garden.
Much of our collection is open to tactile handling. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Refreshments. Visitors are welcome to picnic in the garden. Refreshments are available at The Cat Inn, 100 yards from The Priest House http://www.catinn.co.uk
Dont pay, give instead....
......become a Gift Aid Visitor
Did you know that The Priest House belongs to a charity called Sussex Past? Your normal admission charge can therefore be treated as a donation.
If you are a UK tax payer, the government will give us an extra 28% on your top of your donation. We will then give you a season ticket allowing you free admission for a year to The Priest House
As a charity, we depend on your admission income to look after our properties. To qualify, you will need to be a UK taxpayer and complete a Gift Aid form on arrival.
The Priest House
