I Stayed In A Tudor House In East Grinstead

I was recently treated by the lovely team at The Landmark Trust, a conservation charity, to have a few days staying at one of their historic properties. 

The Landmark Trust was founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith. The charity takes on at-risk historic buildings, before restoring and preserving them. They are then let out as holiday lets, with the profits going back into the maintenance of these unique buildings. Many are smaller, potentially overlooked buildings that others might see as “too desperate, troublesome or unfashionable”. They also often organise free public open days, for example as part of the Open House festival in September. I have written here about another property previously that they own on Princelet Street in Spitalfields. 

I will tell you all about this incredible survivor, as well as the wider history of East Grinstead and what else you can see in area. 

Sackville House 

Sackville House was constructed in around 1525, during the reign of King Henry VIII and it can be found right on East Grinstead High Street. East Grinstead developed as a town in the early 13th century, as an important stop of point for those travelling from London to the South coast, particularly, prior to the Reformation, to the great Priory at Lewes. I have also written previously about a day trip to Lewes here.

Sackville House is part of a stretch of 14th-16th century properties, said to be the longest continuous stretch of properties of this age in Britain. 

As you can see, the house is timber-framed, with traditional wattle-and-daub in-filling. It is also jettied, i.e. the upper floor overhangs the street. This was to maximise space on the upper floors, whilst keeping within the footprint of the property on the ground floor. It also protected the lower floors from the elements and damp. There were other structural factors, but they were also symbols of wealth and status with jettying being a relatively expensive and high skilled technique. 

The house is a wonderful, creaky warren of little nooks, corridors, low doorways and beams. 

In this one alcove there is a surviving original brocade wall painting that has been discovered, probably once part of a wider scheme.

There is also a surviving pattern on one of the beams in the sitting room. 

The Garden And Layout

What is truly remarkable about Sackville House however lies behind. The original Tudor layout of the property and grounds are very well preserved. 

It still, for example, has its carriage entrance leading to the yard at the back.

From the yard you then enter into the beautiful garden. They seem to go on and on, stretching for a whopping 630ft.

This speaks to the original way medieval towns were often laid out. The high street in East Grinstead, used originally as the market place, was laid out in the 13th century and was flanked by 48 plots or ‘burgages’. Each burgage had a house on it and a plot of town land or ‘portland’ at the back for keeping animals and growing food for the occupants. 

Owning a burgage meant that you received special rights and privileges. For example, you could trade in the market place outside your house before non-burgage holders, ‘forestalling’ them. The right to vote for your MP also depended on owning a burgage and so acquiring them became a way of gaining and exerting power. In the 17th century, the Sackville family, from nearby Knole, started to acquire burgages. It is from this connection that the house got its name, although it does not appear to have been known as Sackville House until the late 19th century.

The House Saved From Dereliction

In the early 20th century the house was in a state of decay. It was acquired by Geoffrey Webb, a renowned stained glass artist, and his wife Joan. His uncle was the architect Aston Webb, who designed Admiralty Arch, the East front of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

Geoffrey would work in the studio at the top of the house. There are a couple of examples of his work in the little chapel area.

Geoffrey and Joan fully restored the property and it was their daughter Ursula who bequeathed the house to the Landmark Trust in 1995 at her death. You can see the listing for the property on the Landmark trust website here.

What Else To See In East Grinstead

Not only was Sackville House an inspiring and comfortable place to stay, it was also the perfect base for exploring the wider historic area. Practically opposite Sackville House is St Swithin’s church. It has roots going back to the 11th century, with the current building a rebuild from 1793 by James Wyatt. 

One detail to spot are these three graves by the front door.

They are the graves of Anne Tree, Thomas Dunngate, and John Forman, Protestants burnt at the stake on July 18, 1556, during the the reign of Mary I, after refusing to denounce their faith. 

I enjoyed this stained glass window of St Cuthbert, wheeling his ailing mother in a wheelbarrow. 

There is also a memorial to Henry Standen, who was part of the ‘Guinea Pig Club’. This was a social club and support group founded in 1941 for severely burned Allied aircrew treated by pioneering surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. 

You can also visit the East Grinstead museum, sadly shut for renovations whilst I was in town. 

Just off the High Street is the Grade I listed Sackville College. This was constructed in 1619, founded by Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset, as an almshouse for the elderly. It still operates as a charity providing homes for residents today. They run public tours between June and September.

Wider Sussex

Not far away is the picturesque village of West Hoathly. Here you can find the Priest House Museum and Garden. 

Housed in a 15th century building, it was once the estate office used to manage local land for Lewes Priory. After the Reformation it passed largely through royal hands from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, before passing into private hands in 1560. It was opened as a museum in 1908 and features a collection of local curios and items related to Sussex history. 

One item that caught my eye was this embroidered handkerchief.

The names were embroidered by Suffragettes in Holloway prison in 1912. The handkerchief was amazingly rescued from a jumble sale in the village in the 1960s. 

Make sure to pop into the Grade I listed St Margaret’s Church, which has parts dating back to the 11th century. 

Two National Trusts

Only a ten minute drive away or so is Standen House, a lovely National Trust property.

Built in 1894, it was designed by architect Philip Webb for wealthy solicitor James Beale and his wife Margaret. It is of the Arts and Crafts style and features lots of Morris and Co interiors. 

Another nearby National Trust is Scotney Castle, roughly a 45 minute drive away. Scotney Castle is really two buildings, firstly, Old Scotney Castle, which partially dates back to the 14th century.

It is a fairytale-like, moated castle, that was deliberately turned into a romantic ruin in the 19th century. A new mansion was constructed at the top of the hill in 1843, designed by Anthony Salvin in the Picturesque style. 

Since 1778 the estate had been owned by the Hussey family and in 1970 Christopher Hussey left it to the National Trust. The gardens have been open since 1971 and the main house since 2007 after the death of Christopher’s widow Elizabeth. 

The ‘Hundred Acre Wood’

Finally, you can walk around Ashdown Forest. This area of ancient woodland and heathland became a Royal hunting forest after the Norman conquest. It was used regularly for hunting for example by King Henry VIII. 

The author A.A. Milne lived at Cotchford Farm, on the edge of the forest and it was the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

I hope you enjoyed that soujourn into Sussex and surrounding areas. Thank you again to the Landmark Trust for the truly wonderful stay, I can highly recommend booking with them if you have an opportunity. You can see all of their properties here.

Thank you for reading, see below for more historical trips you can go on from London!