Michelham Priory

This is proper old English heritage at it’s best. Nestled away in the countryside not too far from Lewes, the priory has a lot to offer.
The river Arun has been diverted to enclose the estate in a picturesque moat that has a lot of fish in it. Sadly, you can’t boat on it for safety reasons, but it still creates a great initial impression when you arrive and have to cross the moat to the gatehouse. You can explore the gatehouse, but sadly there are no exhibits in here anymore.
The main priory is an interesting building and throughout there are a number of volunteers who act as free guides to talk you through the history of the building. I would recommend getting them to show you the mechanics of the kitchen fires, secret passage and inform you of the general history of the priory. They are all very friendly and have a wealth of interesting information at their disposal. Much better than listening to a headset, or reading off an information placard.
Aside from the house, there is a working black smithy and rope museum to investigate, a café, gift shop and extensive grounds to explore. This includes a apothecary garden where they grow a wide range of herbs and plants used for medicine in times before the scientific revolution.
Further investigation will lead you to a charming walled vegetable garden complete with a trellised vine network. It’s best to see this in the summer when all is in full swing. The grounds are laid out in a number of walks and you can enjoy a very nice picnic by following the routes. One of these leads to a 14 century roundhouse project where they have recreated a number of traditional huts. Kids will love this.
The estate also hosts a number of events in the summer period including medieval reenactments, plays and concerts. The website will detail these. Also, be aware that the opening times are seasonal and you should ensure that the priory is open before making your trip.
One final addition to the day is a trip around the working watermill and you can even volunteer to work there for an afternoon and get a hands on experience of how to mill flour.
All in all a very nice day out and this should be a designated trip on any summer itinerary in the area.