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MITCHELAM PRIORY
Upper Dicker, Near Hailsham, Sussex. On B2108,just off A22
Surrounded by a moat encompassing some six acres of land, the 13th century
priory of Austin Canons currently offers visitors a unique opportunity of
seeing a fascinating example of Tudor adaptation. Adjoining the parlour
and, buttery below the prior's room and incorporated into the Dining Hall
a Tudor wing and kitchen can now be seen.
Because of the Sussex Archaeological Trust's interest in the property
numerous excavations have been made, and some are still being carried out
to identify the remains of a huge building in the grounds on the edge of
the moat.
There are many problems connected with this sort of work, however, for
the water level has risen and every hole deeper than 18in immediately fills
with water. The priory itself now stands on what must be an underground
lake. There are four ghosts here that have been witnessed in recent years.
After the dissolution in 1536, Michelham and its lands passed through
numerous hands until Herbert Pelham obtained it in 1587. He was responsible
for restoring some of the original buildings and also added the Tudor wing;
but in doing so was compelled to sell the property to Thomas Sackville,
Earl of Dorset in 1601.
For some 300 years the Sackvilles let out the priory to tenant farmers
and in 1897 J E A Gwynne of Folkington purchased the estate. It was this
that created one of the ghosts for the 'selling over the head' of one of
the tenants created such absolute rage with the farmer he threatened to
kill the new owner.
Nothing happened apparently, but a phantom white horse has been seen and
heard riding through the arches of the gatehouse. Rupert Gwynne used this
mode of transport when visiting the occupier.
During the war the army used the priory for 'D Day' conferences and an
interesting reminder of those days is the pencil drawing of the English
Channel to be seen in the first floor of the gatehouse.
Another ghost is that of one of the Sackville family. The curator, Mr.
Harrison, told me that a lady in a grey gown leading a small brown terrier
approached the ticket office sited in the gatehouse and an being told by
a member of the staff that dogs were not allowed, turned back along the
driveway and vanished. Since then she has been seen several times, always
during the opening hours of 11am to 5.30pm.
The other ghosts were seen in the main ground floor Tudor room. In 1969
a couple of visitors reading an explanatory notice on one of the walls turned
to relate the information with the objects and saw a man in a black cloak
slowly descend from the ceiling diagonally to the door in front of the ingle-nook
fireplace and glide through the end doorway.
Stunned by the sight of the apparition, they stood there for some seconds
when another phantom, a lady in a Tudor gown, ran silently past them apparently
in pursuit of the cloaked figure.
The woman has been seen several times since and the explanation of the
'descending man' may well be, according to Mr. Harrison, that before the
Tudor alterations were made a staircase existed on the site leading from
the mediaeval kitchen, but the connection with the lady is unknown.
The room concerned unfortunately suffered severe damage from a fire some
years ago and was completely rebuilt. There was no trace of a staircase,
but future excavations may confirm the theory.
Story by Andrew Green: 'Our Haunted Kingdom'
