Michelham Priory House & Gardens, in Upper Dicker near Hailsham in East Sussex, hires out its Elizabethan Barn for conferences, meetings, away days and weddings. The room holds up to 130 people, and the site is licensed for weddings and civil ceremonies. The priory sits on a moated island and is run by Sussex Past, the trading arm of the Sussex Archaeological Society.
Seminars and company events
Sussex Past offers Michelham Priory as one of three Sussex sites for corporate hire. The barn is promoted for conferences of up to 130 delegates, for meetings, and for team away days that combine indoor and outdoor space. Chairs and tables are provided, a projector and screen are available, and use of a kitchen and a bar can be requested.
Across its sites Sussex Past lists fast Wi-Fi, catering, audiovisual equipment, free parking on site or public parking within an easy walk, and staff on hand on the day. Historical experiences or garden tours can be added on request for an extra fee. The full hire fee goes toward protecting Sussex heritage.
Weddings and receptions
The priory is one of three Sussex Past venues for weddings. The organization describes the barn as an Elizabethan barn on a private moated island, surrounded by countryside, and states that all its venues are licensed for weddings and civil ceremonies with catering available. The wedding offer for Michelham has its own page on the Sussex Past site, where you can send an enquiry.
Rooms and capacities
The Elizabethan Barn is the hire space. The corporate page gives a capacity of up to 130. Layout details such as the floor area, ceiling height or numbers per layout are not published, so ask the events team for a plan before you choose a format. The seven acres of grounds, with the medieval gatehouse and several gardens, can be considered for outdoor moments.
Catering
Catering is available on every Sussex Past site. The site also has the Blue Door Cafe, which serves food made with ingredients from local suppliers. A kitchen and a bar can be used on request for events in the barn.
History and setting
Augustinian canons founded the priory in 1229. It was damaged after the dissolution of the monasteries in the Tudor period, and during the Second World War it housed evacuees and the Canadian Army. Today visitors see period rooms, a historic kitchen, the Elizabethan Great Barn, a medieval gatehouse, and kitchen, physic and medieval herb gardens, all around a moat.
Getting there
The address is Michelham Priory Road, Upper Dicker, Hailsham, BN27 3QS. Free parking is available on site, according to Sussex Past, which lists parking on site or nearby for all its venues. Contact the corporate hire team through the enquiry form on the Sussex Past site.
