Preston Manor

Preston Manor

Preston Manor today shows the day-to-day lives of both the landed gentry and their servants. It also reflects the Edwardian concerns of hierarchy, social etiquette, and male and female domains.

In the 1800s, the Preston Manor estate stretched for miles into Brighton and Hove and down to the seafront. The history of the Stanford family and their estate impacted greatly upon the development of Brighton. The modern history of Preston Manor dates back to 1559 when the Bishops of Chichester were forced to secure property to the Crown under a new Act of Parliament.
 
Ghostly sightings
Tales of ghostly sightings and supernatural experiences at Preston Manor go back through history.
For years the Stanford family had been troubled by inexplicable phenomena – disembodied hands moving up one of the bedposts in the south west room, silk dresses cut into diamond patterns and mysterious figures seen on the staircase.

The lady in white
A séance was held on 11 November 1896.  At the séance the medium revealed that messages were being received from a nun called Sister Agnes who had been wrongly excommunicated from the Church and buried in unconsecrated ground outside the house.
A year later when drains at the house were being inspected, the body of a woman was found and the bones were certified as being about 400 years old.  Were these the bones of Sister Agnes?  They were re-buried discreetly by a local gravedigger.
The Lady in White is reported to have made further appearances, but not within living memory.

Modern day sightings
Further sightings have been reported.  There is the Lady in Grey who descends the grand staircase with nowhere to go. And a ghost who was seen trying out a child’s toy tractor during the 1960s.  Also sightings of non-existent visitors, doors locking themselves, lights turning off for no reason, and a ghostly hand holding onto a doorknob.

What to see 
Preston Manor was home to the Stanford family for over 130 years and evokes a wonderful atmosphere of Edwardian living.

Decorated and furnished in the style of the early 20th century with many original exhibits, there are over  20 rooms to visit
elegant reception rooms and bedrooms
kitchens, sculleries and pantries
servants’ quarters
a child’s nursery
Find out
how the lady of the house enjoyed her Morning Room
why brass beds were so popular throughout the 19th century
what the Bells Passage was used for
the function of a Boot Hall
and much, much more
Outside, wander in the delightful old-fashioned walled gardens.

VISITORS INFORMATION:

Opening times
Open for escorted visits from 1 April to 30 September
Tues-Sat - escorted visits take place at 15 minutes past each hour from 10.15am until 4.15pm
Sun – escorted visits take place at 2.15pm, 3.15pm and 4.15pm
Duration 45 mins
No pre-booking required
Closed Mon (including Bank Holidays)
Closed (except for pre-booked groups) from 1 October to 31 March
 
Admission charges