Michelham Priory House & Gardens
Open now until 5.00PM
Buy ticketsExplore 800 years of history at Michelham Priory House and Gardens – a Tudor house set on a picturesque moated island, complete with medieval gatehouse, watermill and more.
Michelham Priory House and Gardens is set on a private island within England’s largest medieval water-filled moat.
Founded by Augustinian canons in 1229, the site is steeped in history. During Tudor times the site suffered destruction caused by the dissolution of the monasteries, and in WWII it was home to evacuees and the Canadian Army.
There are fascinating displays of furniture and artefacts, set in rooms reflecting different periods of Michelham’s rich history. These include an historic kitchen and the WWII evacuees’ bedroom. Children will enjoy the hands-on activities and outfits to try on.
Outdoors there are seven acres of beautiful grounds and buildings to explore including: a great barn; medieval gate house; watermill; and the kitchen, physic and medieval herb gardens.
There’s plenty inside and out to entertain the whole family for the day.
Why not take a walk around the moat, feed our resident ducks, explore the sculptures in the grounds, let off steam at the children’s play area, before getting a bite to eat at the café.
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All Access
| Gift Aid* | Standard | |
| Adult | £12.10 | £11.00 |
| Child/Student (5-17) | £6.05 | £5.50 |
| Senior | £11.55 | £10.50 |
| Family (2 adults + up to 4 children) | £31.90 | £29.00 |
| Family (1 adult + up to 3 children) | £18.70 | £17.00 |
| Carer for Disabled (if required) | Free | Free |
| Members of the Sussex Archaeological Society | Free | Free |
*Gift Aid your admission which includes a voluntary donation of at least 10% to support our charitable work. Thank you!
Grounds only
| Gift Aid* | Standard | |
| Adult | £10.45 | £9.50 |
| Child/Student (5-17) | £4.95 | £4.50 |
| Senior | £9.90 | £9.00 |
| Family (2 adults + up to 4 children) | £28.60 | £26.00 |
| Family (1 adult + up to 3 children) | £16.50 | £15.00 |
| Carer for Disabled (if required) | Free | Free |
| Members of the Sussex Archaeological Society | Free | Free |
*Gift Aid your admission which includes a voluntary donation of at least 10% to support our charitable work. Thank you!
Groups
A reduced price for groups of 10 or more is available. Please email MichelhamFOH@SussexPast.co.uk for further information.
Michelham Priory Opening Times
Michelham Priory House and Gardens opens for 2022 on March 1st. Opening times are:
- March to September – 10.30am to 5pm
- October to November – 10.30am to 4pm
- 1st December to 18th December (weekends only) – 10.30am to 4pm
*Please note, Michelham Priory House & Gardens will be closed on Friday 15 July for a private function, and will re-open as usual on Saturday 16 July at 10.30am.
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Michelham Priory House and Gardens are located in Upper Dicker, near Hailsham, Eastbourne.
Getting here
There is no direct public transport to the site, so you’ll need to visit by car, bike or hike! The site is 8 miles north-west of Eastbourne off the A22/A27.
Accessibility
General access: Gardens, ground floor of the house, café, barn and courtyard area are all accessible. Wheelchair ramps provided where necessary. 3D virtual tours of the upstairs of the property are available via tablets on site – please ask
Parking: There are dedicated parking spaces for visitors displaying a Blue Badge.
Access aids: We have a range of equipment available including loan wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Sensory tours: Available by prior arrangement.
Assistance dogs: welcome.
Toilets: disabled toilet on site
Food and drink
The site has a popular café, serving hot and cold food and drinks all day. We use lots of fresh produce from the Priory’s Kitchen garden in our menu, as part of our Plot-to-Plate initiative. This means you’re eating local, seasonal produce in its prime. Take that, food miles! Plus all of our cakes are baked on site, so they’re as fresh as they are tasty.
Gifts and shopping
Stop by The Dovecote Gift Shop to browse gifts and souvenirs of your visit. We have a lovely range of hand-selected products, plus plants grown right here at the Priory.
Four-legged friends
We love seeing your four-legged friends but there are restrictions in place (expect for assistance dogs).
Grounds only – To preserve the historic nature of the site, dogs are only permitted in the grounds, not the buildings
Short-lead at all times – We are home to lots of wildlife, so dogs must be well-behaved and kept on a short lead at all times
No dogs during events – No dogs are allowed on site during events, because events are especially busy and crowded
Assistance dogs welcome – Assistance dogs are permitted across the whole property and during events.
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 Michelham Priory by calling call 01323 844224 or email MichelhamFOH@sussexpast.co.uk.
Address: Michelham Priory, Upper Dicker, Hailsham BN27 3QS
Phone: 01323 844224
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Want to take a virtual tour of Michelham Priory House & Gardens?
Click on the window below to explore and plan this historic Sussex site before your visit.
Enjoyed your tour?
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