The Priest House, West Hoathly - The Sussex Archaeological Society

The Priest House, West Hoathly
Property information
Contents
History of the Priest House
The Garden
The Friends of the Priest House

History of the Priest House, West Hoathly
In the year 1392 Pope Urban VI gave the Cluniac Priory of St. Pancras in Lewes
permission to appropriate land in the parish of West Hoathly. The Manor of the
Rectory of West Hoathly was created from land that had previously formed part of
the Manor of Lindfield.
However, the Manor lands were neglected & in 1426 the
Parishioners petitioned Pope Martin V about the Priory’s management.
It was possibly as a response to this that The Priest House was built, as an estate
office, in the late 1420’s. In 1524 the Priory leased the Rectory Manor to John
Browne & The Priest House became a family home.
Henry VIII seized the property of Lewes Priory in 1538 & the Browne’s Manor was
given to Thomas Cromwell. When he was disgraced & beheaded in 1540 the
Manor formed part of the divorce settlement of Anne of Cleves. John Browne,
however, continued as tenant until his death. His son, Thomas, succeeded him.
After the death of Anne of Cleves he paid rent to Queen Mary for a year & then to
Elizabeth I. In 1560 the Queen sold the property that had once belonged to
Lewes Priory & Thomas Browne bought the Manor lands & The Priest House.
The house remained in the hands of the Browne family until 1695 when the
Manor was sold to pay off their debts.
The new owner was Mrs. Anna Hooper of Barbados. She divided the house into
two cottages but took little interest in her property. In 1731 the land was sold to
Robert Bostock of Otford, Kent. The Bostock family held the land for 150 years
but did little to maintain The Priest House & in 1879 they sold the land to John
Cotton Powell.
By the beginning of the 20th Century the house was almost a ruin but in 1905 it
was bought by John Godwin King, of Stonelands, West Hoathly. He had the
house restored & in 1908 he opened it to the public.
In 1935 John Godwin King presented The Priest House & its contents to the
Sussex Archaeological Society.
The Garden
The Priest House garden was planted when the house opened to the public in
1908 and it retains many of its original features. The formal box hedges,
herbaceous borders and espalier apple trees that form an avenue up to the front
door are all original and the long yew hedge with its topiary figures was planted
just a few years later.
However, no garden ever stands still and the grounds have been substantially
remodeled in recent years. The mixed borders of herbaceous perennials, herbs
and shrubs were enlarged and replanted in 1989. By regularly adding new plants
and allowing them the freedom to spread and seed themselves at will a colourful
and exuberant planting scheme has been produced, typical of an old cottage
garden.

In 1992 a more formal herb garden was added at the southern end of the house,
bringing the number of herbs in the garden to well over 150 (including the daisies,
dandelions and nettles!). Since 1997 a shrubbery and woodland area have also
been added in the small secluded back garden.
The Friends of the Priest House
The Priest House relies heavily on the active support of the Friends association.
The Friends were formed in 1970 with the object of educating the public “by
promotion, support, assistance & improvement of the Priest House Museum” &
with the following powers:
To further the charitable status of The Priest House & to encourage & help with
the development of its facilities;
To encourage & maintain the interest of the public in The Priest House as a
building, a garden & a museum;
To co-operate with the Sussex Archaeological Society & other bodies with similar
objectives;
To raise & provide funds to enable the Friends to carry out the objectives of the
Friends in consultation with the S.A.S. & from time to time to make available
resources for the well being of The Priest House.
Currently the Friends:
• Provide funds for maintenance, displays & exhibitions in the house.
• Provide funds for the maintenance & improvement of the garden.
• Produce goods for sale in the shop.
• Organise social events for their members & the public.
• Publish a newsletter for members.
• act as Stewards in the custodian’s absence.
The Corporate Plan of the Sussex Archaeological Society acknowledges the role
played by the Friends associations. The Friends are vital to the running of The
Priest House & in the last 12 years they have contributed over £15,000 to the
property.