| Summary : The remains of an Augustinian monastery situated on the eastern bank of the River Cuckmere in the Sussex Weald. Michelham Priory, survives in the form of a rectangular, north east-south west aligned moated island of around 6 hectares containing standing buildings, earthworks and associated below ground remains. The priory was founded by Gilbert de Aquila in 1229 and was dissolved in 1536. The main monastic buildings are ranged around a square inner cloister yard. The frater lies along the southern side of the cloister and survives as a two-storeyed building with sandstone walls and a clay-tiled roof. The standing, southern end of the western range, originally housing the prior's lodging, is of three storeys. These buildings have been dated to the 13th century. The other buildings of the main cloister, including the monastic church along its northern side, survive in the form of buried foundations. The domestic west range dates to the 16th century, after the Dissolution. Access to the island is by way of a stone bridge and barbican gateway over the central part of the north western arm of the moat. The gateway is a sqauare, tower-like building of three storeys constructed of sandstone ashlar. The barbican gateway has been dated to the 15th century. The attached round-arched, parapeted bridge dates to the 16th century. The guest house, dating to the 13th century, was revealed by excavation in the southern corner of the island in 1971-76. Immediately to the north east are the foundations of a cart shed. The investigations further suggested that the moat was constructed after the erection of the earliest monastic buildings, during the late 14th or early 15th centuries. The arms of the water filled moat are up to 30 metres wide. The priory passed onto secular ownership at the time of the Reformation and has undergone several, subsequent phases of alteration and development. |
More information : (TQ 55880933) Remains of (NAT) Michelham Priory (NR)
(Augustinian, founded AD 1229) (NAT) Bridge (NR) Tower (NR) (1)
Michelham Priory - House of Augustinian Canons founded 1229, dissolved 1536. There is no good authority for alleged Arrouaisian connection. (2)
For history and description see attached guide-book. (3)
In 1964, a series of trial excavations were made and the principal results were the discovery of extensions on the southern range of buildings (See plan)
Finds included pottery, the bulk of which could be attributed to Rye Kilns, ranging from the mid-13th c to 1550. Decorated and plain floor tiles; roofing slate (12th - 15th c); coins including a halfpenny of Richard II; jettons, French and Nuremberg. In addition, bone fragments of domestic animals and many thousands of oyster shells. (4)
Michelham Priory, vested in the Sussex Archaeological Trust, is as described in the Guide Book; and is in excellent condition.
The course of the foundations of the Priory church and W. range are marked out with gravel paths in the turf of the lawns. (Surveyed at 1:2500).
The 1964 excavations are now turfed over.
The pigeonhouse (p 9 Guidebook) is a single storey building, 10.0, square, the SW wall of ashlar, the remainder of random rubble, the lower courses rebuilt with modern brick. The tiled roof and windows are modern. In poor condition. See GP.
The moat is waterfilled and in good condition. It is embayed on the SW and SE sides, and is fed by springs. (Published 1:2500 survey revised) Two fishponds are at TQ 55200840, the lower 70.0m square in plan and dry, the upper 170.0m long and waterfilled. (Surveyed at 1:2500) (5)
5208 ARLINGTON MILTON HIDE
TQ 50 NE 18/502 13.10.52 Michelham Priory
A Priory for Augustinian Canons, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was founded here by Gilbert de Aquila in 1229. It was dissolved in 1536. Edward I spent the night of the 14th September, 1302 here. The surviving building is T-shaped, the east and north wings dating from the C13, the west wing from the C16 after the Dissolution. The building is of stone, the east wing being sandstone. Tiled roof. Two storeys and attic, except the north wing which has 3 storeys and attic. The south front has 9 windows and 6 modern dormers. Two chimney breasts, one extending down to the ground, the other corbelled out above the ground floor with a pointed doorway below this. Casement windows with stone mullions and dripstones, those in the east wing being modern. This wing was the Refectory. Its south face has 3 blocked pointed arches at first floor level and on the ground floor. One similar archway and one four-centred doorway. Its north face has 4 blocked pointed archways together on the ground floor, 2 with slender shafts having foliated capitals and deeply chamfered heads. These were the Lavatory. The north wing, which originally extended further north and has been cut off, was the Prior's Lodging. It has a blocked pointed archway on the ground floor and 3 similar window openings above containing modern windows. The ground floor room which it contains is a vaulted under-croft. Some masonry further north shows the point to which this wing extended. The north face of the west wing has larger windows and a stone dormer. Articles in the Sussex County Magazine Vol 2, p 2, in the Sussex Archaeological Society's Collections Vols 6, p 129 and 67p 1 and in Country Life of 23rd March 1935.
Barbican Tower and Bridge over the Moat at Michelham Priory
TQ 50 NE 18/502A 30.8.66
The Priory is surrounded by a moat fed from the river Cuckmere, and at the centre of the inner side of the north-west quarter of the moat stands the Gateway or Barbican Tower. C15. Square ashlar building of 3 storeys. Wide carriage archway with elliptical head on ground floor. Above on first and second floors.
Two windows of 2 tiers of 2 trefoil-headed lights with stone mullions, transoms and dripstones with corbel heads. Castellated parapet. Hipped tiled roof. On the south side is a rectangular projecting containing a vice staircase with hipped tiled roof over. On the outer side of the Tower is a stone Bridge spanning the moat consisting of a round-headed arch and a solid portion on each side with a parapet over the whole. This dates from the C16.
The Stables or Pigeon-house to the north west of Michelham Priory
TQ 50 NE 18/502B 30.8.66
Small square single-storeyed building. Probably built in the C18 or mediaeval stone. It is fronted with ashlar. The sides and back are of stone rubble. Hipped tiled roof with gable in the centre forming the birds' entrance. Two lunette windows.
The Barns to the south west of Michelham Priory (formerly listed as Barn at Michelham Priory)
TQ 50 NE 18/502C 30.8.66
The exterior is C19 but the interior is probably C17. Roof of tie-beams with arched braces and queen-posts. Faced with tarred weather-boarding. Slate roof.
The Mill to the south west of Michelham Priory
TQ 50 NE 18/502D
C18. Two storeys. Two windows. Ground floor. Red brick, above weather-boarding. Hipped tiled roof. Probably C17 or earlier, refaced with red brick and grey headers alternately in 1714. Hipped tiled roof. Some casement windows, some sash windows with glazing bars intact. Two-storeyed gabled porch with a stone in the gable inscribed with the initials M.G.A. and the date 1714. Brick chimney breast on north wall. (6)
Three buildings have been excavated on the south lawn. The first building was a stone built medieval hall, first utilised for domestic purposes then later for semi-industrial usage. Excavation also concluded that the moat post-dated the hall. Foundations of a second large building were also examined together with the remains of an earlier, pre-moat, third building beneath it. The find spot of a Bellarmine vessel was also studied. (7) |