The Priest House & Gardens
Closed - Reopens in Spring
Buy ticketsThe 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
Buy Tickets
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 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.
Buy TicketsThe Priest House Opening Times
The Priest House is now closed for the winter and will reopen in March 2024.
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