Alfriston Clergy House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alfriston Clergy House |
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The house in spring
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| Type | Wealden hall house |
| Location | Alfriston |
| OS grid reference | TQ 52131 02951 |
| Area | East Sussex |
| Built | Mid-14th Century |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: The Old Clergy House | |
| Designated | 13 October 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1191431 |
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The Alfriston Clergy House is a very old building in Alfriston, East Sussex, England. It's famous because it was the very first property that the National Trust bought to protect. They bought it in 1896 for just £10! The house is right next to the Church of St. Andrew. It's a special building, listed as Grade II*, which means it's historically important. Today, you can visit the house and explore its history.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: The House's Story
This house is a type of building called a Wealden hall house, built way back in the 1300s. Even though its name makes you think of a priest's home, it was actually first built for a farmer. It's quite a simple house, not at all like the big homes many church leaders lived in later on.
The Alfriston Clergy House is a two-story building made with a timber frame. It has low ceilings and a roof made of thatch. Some parts of the house were rebuilt in the 1600s.
Inside, the floor is made from a rare mix of chalk and sour milk. This mixture was like an early form of cement! Outside, there's a lovely small garden designed by Graham Stuart Thomas. You might hear that a carving of an oak leaf on the house inspired the National Trust's logo, but there's no real proof of this.
How the National Trust Saved It
The way the National Trust decided to fix and show off the Clergy House in 1895 was super important. It set the standard for how they would care for almost all their properties from then on, even today. It also helped change how people thought about fixing old buildings, making them more careful than they used to be in the 1800s.
This careful approach came from the close connection between the new National Trust and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). The SPAB was started by William Morris years earlier. He wanted to stop people from "over-restoring" old buildings, which meant changing them too much and making them lose their original charm. The people who started the National Trust agreed with him.
By 1890, the Clergy House was in really bad shape. The new local priest, Reverend F. W. Beynon, asked for help to fix it. He contacted the SPAB, and some repairs were done. But the project was still difficult. In 1894, Beynon asked the SPAB if the new National Trust might be interested in taking over the house.
One of the National Trust's founders, Canon Rawnsley, got involved. Another founder, Octavia Hill, also asked for advice. She said they wanted to "preserve" the building, not "restore" it in a way that would damage it. In March 1895, the National Trust agreed. They decided that "restoration" meant only doing what was needed to save the building, with as little new work as possible. This rule became key for all the buildings they would later acquire.
In June, the church authorities agreed to sell the house for £10. Octavia Hill then asked the SPAB to suggest an architect who truly cared about old buildings. They suggested Alfred Powell, who did the repairs.
Because of this early teamwork, the National Trust and SPAB have worked closely together ever since. Many National Trust properties have been repaired by architects trained by the SPAB, following the same careful rules first used at the Clergy House.
Images for kids
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A close-up of an oak leaf carving inside the house.
See Also
- National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
- Wealden hall house
