Michelham Priory

[poliphilo]

An Augustinian Priory- near Hailsham-  that became a country house after the Dissolution, it has a moat, fed by the Cuckmere River, that is supposed to be the most extensive in the country. It belongs to The Sussex Archaeological Trust.



The 14th century gatehouse.



The South front



15th century Flemish Madonna.

Comments

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

How beautiful!

There's always something extra special about old monastic buildings that were converted into houses after the Dissolution. I must try and get over to Forde Abbey again this summer...

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Great pics. Lovely place.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Stunning!

Not somewhere I know at all.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Michelham Priory has a lovely, relaxed atmosphere- even though it is- allegedly- one of the most haunted houses in the country.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well worth a visit.

It's run very like a National Trust property but with extra friendliness and a very relaxed attitude. A NT property would have had curators hovering in every room; here we had the house to ourselves.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

It's magnificent. The gatehouse is as well...are such large gatehouses seen often? I don't recall ever seeing one that big and as lovely.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'd say it's quite common for English monasteries and castles and manor houses to have imposing gatehouses. The gatehouse is the first thing a visitor (friendly or otherwise) gets to see and they're designed to impress. Michelham's gatehouse is splendid but I know many that are grander. The gatehouse at Battle Abbey (in the same part of the world) is a spectacular piece of work that dominates the town.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Well, I hope you saw a ghost, then! Tudor, of course.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No ghosts, I'm afraid. Just an atmosphere of serenity.