Wilmington Priory

[2] Wilmington Priory was founded in the mid 11th century as a small alien cell of St Mary by Herluin de Conteville.

It was enlarged in 1243 to create a priory, but primarily run as a grange to maintain the lands held in the area by the Benedictine monks of Grestain Abbey in Normandy.

[3] The grange was suppressed along with other alien cells in 1414, and given to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester Cathedral, who in 1565 granted it to Sir Richard Sackville.

It passed by marriage from them to the Cavendish family, and in 1925 the ninth Duke of Devonshire conveyed the priory to the Sussex Archaeological Trust, who repaired the building and set up a small museum of farm implements.

On the site today stands a 14th-century two-storey L-shaped house, incorporating part of a 13th-century building, which was modified in the 18th century and is Grade I listed.