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The Priest House stands in a traditional cottage garden in the picturesque village of West Hoathly on the edge of Ashdown Forest.

The house was owned in turn by Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, Anne of Cleves, Mary I and Elizabeth I. It is now furnished with 17th & 18th century country furniture and domestic objects collected by John Godwin-King, who gifted these and the house to us.

Over 170 culinary, medicinal & household herbs are planted in the garden. The resident curator gives fascinating tours of the house and garden upon request.

Getting to The Priest House: The house is in the picturesque village of West Hoathly near East Grinstead, Crawley and Haywards Heath. It is just off the M23 and is on the 81 and 84 bus routes from East Grinstead and Three Bridges.

Address: North Lane, West Hoathly, East Grinstead RH19 4PP

Phone: 01342 810479

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The Priest House Admission Prices – 2023

Adult £6.50
Child (aged 5 to 17) / Student
£3.20
Senior (65+) £5.90
Family (1 adult + up to 3 children) £10.00
Family (2 adults + up to 4 children) £16.50
Under 5s Free
Essential Carer
Free
Members of The Sussex Archaeological Society Free

 

Gift Aid logo Gift Aid the cost of admission to our sites and receive free entry for 12 months.

Select “Add Gift Aid” at checkout or speak to our Front of House teams on arrival. For full details, click here to visit our Gift Aid page.

Groups

A reduced price for groups of 10 or more is available. Please email Priest@SussexPast.co.uk for further information.

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Opening Times

1st March to 31st October

Tuesday to Saturday: 10:30am to 5:30pm

Sunday: 12:00pm to 5:30pm

Group and school visits

Private, group and educational visits are welcome throughout the year. Please email Priest@SussexPast.co.uk to check availability.

The friendly and informal atmosphere makes The Priest House an ideal introduction to museum visiting.

Children can find out how a house was built and furnished and what it was like to live in a time before the invention of electric lights, central heating and flushing toilets!

The Priest House is an early 15th century timber-framed building with a collection of domestic items in an authentic period setting which provides opportunities for cross-curricular, literacy or science based work.

The colourful cottage garden, which is full of medieval herbs and plants, and the historic village of West Hoathly also offer opportunities to understand how an old building relates to its environment.

We offer guided tours, with opportunities for group work and artefact handling. A loans box is available to groups visiting the house for follow-up work in the classroom.

Booking your tickets

Advance booking is not necessary but those who wish to can book tickets ahead of their visit. Tickets booked online will be sent via email. Any additional purchases made, for example, guidebooks, will be available to collect upon arrival at The Priest House.

Group bookings

Are you looking to book for a group of 10 or more? We offer discounted rates for each of our properties. Discover more about our offer by reading our groups brochure here.

To make a group booking contact the team at The Priest House by calling 01342 810479 or email Priest@sussexpast.co.uk.

Address: West Hoathly, East Grinstead RH19 4PP

Phone: 01342 810479

From our visitors

"Incredibly stunning place. You get a medieval feel and can imagine being there as a King. They have done well to keep it like this and would highly recommend"

TheoB via Tripadvisor - Lewes Castle

“A Trip Back in Time. Fascinating history of the Roman Palace. Well explained. Lots to see in the museum and the remains. Incredible detail in the layout of the Palace.”

Sue A via Tripadvisor - Fishbourne Roman Palace

“Go Visit NOW! The gardens are genuinely some of the most beautiful we’ve seen. We are going back soon.”

HorshamLass via Tripadvisor - Michelham Priory

“This was such an interesting place to come to. You could really feel the history of this place.”

Fifi582014 via Tripadvisor - The Priest House and Gardens