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Designations

• Scheduled Monument 1017721: MICHELHAM PRIORY
• Listed Building (I) 1353289: MICHELHAM PRIORY

Summary

Remains of Augustinian Priory, moated site

Monument Types

• AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BARN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DOVECOTE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Description

(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 2. 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 67 p 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 I 2. 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 II 2. 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 II 2. 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 II 2. 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 stucied. (7)
Excavation between 1971 -75 uncovered a hall in the south east corner of the moated area. The masonry hall was c. 30m long and 10m wide with internal cross wall. After the initial domestic occupation the hall seems to have reverted to semi-industrial usage, including hearths and kilns [8] Michelham Priory- Michelham 1219 'the great hamm' [EPN] [9]
MSRG report on six moated sites in Arlington include Michelham Priory. The maot is roughly regular in plan , with internal dimensions of the platform being 180 metres on the south west/norh east axis and 130 metres on the north west/ south east axis and containing an area of about 2.3 hectares [10]
A resistivity survey, consisting of five 20m grid squares, was undertaken on the south lawn at Michelham Priory on 27th June 2007 as part of an archaeology day for children. The results show a number of anomalies, principally of high resistance, though most have an amorphous plan. It is considered that some at least relate to buried masonry structures and demolition spreads. [11]
The site of a Medieval historic building at Michelham Priory, Arlington. For more information on this building please see: http://www.archaeologyse.co.uk/rohas/index.php. The monument and component dates only flag the earliest date for which there is evidence of their existence. To understand the duration of the monument or component the researcher is directed to the original building report. [12]
Michelham Priory was founded in 1229 as a house of Augustinian Canons. It was never very rich and had a poor reputation as far as its moral conduct was concerned. The Priory was eventually dissolved in 1536. Many buildings, including the church, have dissappeared, though the fine 14th century gatehouse is an impressive reminder of what must have formerly existed. The main priory house ultimately became a farmhouse which, although much altered in Tudor times, still preserves traces of its earlier ancestry. The course of the foundations of the priory church and west range are marked out with gravel paths in the turf of the lawns. In 1964 a series of trail excavations were made which discovered extensions on the southern range of buildings. Further excavations between 1971 and 1975 uncovered the foundations of a Medieval hall at the south of the site. The moat is water-filled and in good condition. It is embayed on the south-west and south-east sides, and is fed by springs. There are two fishponds at TQ 55200840, the upper square in plan and dry, the lower long and water-filled. [13]

Sources

Associated Events

• Field observation on TQ 50 NE 1
• MICHELHAM PRIORY (Ref: EI 443)
• MICHELHAM PRIORY (Ref: EI 444)
• MICHELHAM PRIORY (Ref: EI 447)
• MICHELHAM PRIORY (EAST LAWN)
• Mulitple sites near Arlington : Desk Based Assessment
• Michelham Priory South Lawn : Geophysical Survey
• Medieval Moated Sites, East Sussex : Archaeological Survey

Associated Monuments - none recorded

Associated Finds - none recorded

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