Alfriston Clergy House: 1st Building Saved By National Trust
Alfriston Clergy House is Grade II* listed and was the first building saved by the National Trust, bought for £10 in 1896.
Alfriston Clergy House in Polegate, East Sussex was built as a residence for the parish priest of the neighbouring 14th-century St Andrew’s Church.
The house was built between 1399 and 1407 and is one of a handful remaining Wealden Houses in Alfriston village.
The structure of the Clergy House was intended to display the owner’s wealth and significance.
The interior, pictured above, features a rammed chalk floor in the hall and moulded and crenelated beams.
It was the very first building to be saved by the National Trust, bought for £10 in 1896.
The National Trust owns more than 200 historic houses that are open to the public.
Most of them are large country houses or stately homes set in gardens and parks.
They contain collections of pictures, furniture, books, metalwork, ceramics, and textiles that have remained in their historic context. Service wings are preserved at many houses
The Alfriston Clergy House contains various metalwork objects, including a mid-to-late 16th-century cast iron fireback and a 19th-century cast iron water pump.
A collection of photographs show the house in its ruined state in the late 19th century before it was acquired and restored by the National Trust.
The garden, meanwhile, is jammed full of colourful cottage plants.
To the side is a small orchard, and lawned area. The back garden and small lawned terrace, together with raised herbaceous border overlook the River Cuckmere.
Sit a while and listen to the reed warblers.
Several other 'garden rooms' include a vegetable garden with raised beds.
Now open to the public, the reviews on TripAdvisor are incredible.
One recent visitor said: “A marvellous journey into the past history of architecture and construction inventiveness!
”Who'd have thought the floor of the main hall could be made of milk and chalk, for example? Complemented by magnificent gardens and set in against a background of outstanding natural beauty.”
Another person added: “This ancient house is more than just another old place to visit - it is where the collective consciousness of our stunning national heritage became real.
”A sad ruin, of rotted straw and timbers, destined to be lost in the dim memory of history, became a beacon of our past and what the new N.T was to become.
”Hopefully, the Trust will now grasp the educational importance of this humble home and bring it to life to show how our ancestors lived from day to day.”
Members can go free, but for non-members it’s around £9.
To book your tickets and find out more information, visit the National Trust website.
Check out more photos below, courtesy of the National Trust.
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