Preston Manor is re-opening in April 2025 for first time in five years. The manor is a familiar sight to those driving into Brighton and was an elegant family home up until the 1930s. As part of the Brighton and Hove Museum group, it also has enviable reputation for being one of the county’s most haunted properties, and when it didn’t re-open after Covid, many were worried that this icon of Edwardian elegance and marker in the sand of the town’s past might be doomed.
The good news is that it is now reopening with a brand-new visitor experience and its first-ever tearoom. And Sussex Exclusive caught up with Head Guide for 10 years at Brighton & Hove Museums, Dan Cox, to find out more about the new look Preston Manor, as well as to find out more about some of its past.
Can you tell us a little bit about the previous owners of Preston Manor – who were they and what were they like?
It was owned by Ellen and Charles Thomas-Stanford, said to be the wealthiest couple in Sussex at that time. Ellen had inherited from her wealthy father and Charles was a friend of Cecile Rhodes and had made a lot of money from gold mining. They had 17 servants looking after them and in fact, we have many accounts from people that worked here that it was a happy place to work. The butler, who was extremely loyal, was described as firm but fair.
Ellen’s father owned a large estate in this area that went all the way to Hove Park and to the seafront and it was her grandfather who had been a tenant here but managed to buy Preston Manor from the Westerns. As a young lady, Ellen would have been quite a catch. Preston would have still been quite a quiet village and what is now the park, would have been part of the manor grounds so it would have been very prestigious.
Ellen didn’t actually inherit Preston Manor from her father – it was held in trust and she just had the right to live here but eventually Charles (who was her second husband) managed to buy it from the trustees. At the time, Ellen had fallen out with her son from her first marriage and he was threatening to turn Preston Manor into a casino!
Ellen was a terrible snob. She didn’t come from “old money” so appearance and image were very important to her. She liked things to be done properly. Charles was Mayor of Brighton and MP for Brighton and towards the end of their lives they were given the title Sir Charles and Lady Ellen, and that meant a lot to her.
So what can visitors expect now Preston Manor is re-opening?
There are two big changes you’ll notice if you’ve been before . The first is the new visitor experience that takes visitors on a Downton Abbey-style journey set in 1912, featuring the house’s upstairs and downstairs. Rather than focus on the furniture, art and antiques, the idea is to focus on “a day in the life of” and to really bring it to life. There will be narratives by way of an audio guide by the people that lived and worked at Preston manor including Lady Ellen and Maurice Elphick, the butler. They will take you on a journey through a day from morning to evening with a new interpretation of each room. The rooms have all been given a tidy up and items that had crept in have been removed to ensure the rooms are more authentic.
The other big difference is the new tea room where you’ll be able to get traditional Edwardian cream tea. Tea was an important part of Edwardian life and Ellen was particularly fastidious about it.
If you’ve never visited Preston Manor before, you will be surprised at how glamorous and spectacular it is. It’s really reminiscent of a very elegant bygone time.
Can we talk about the ghosts? Have you seen any?
I have seen some peculiar things. For example, on one occasion, I made the maid’s bed before locking up and going home for the night. When I came in the next day, the bed was un-made. I am not the only one to experience things and people have heard an angry man growling and felt hot breath and even a shove. There have also been sightings of maids and a child saying “mummy, daddy”.
There has been a property here since the Domesday Book and very possibly since Roman times, so it’s hard to say who the ghosts are but the most famous one has to be the White Lady or Sister Agnes. She was a local nun who had an affair with a priest. As a result, she was cast out and denied a proper burial. In 1903, workers discovered her skeleton, but the vicar refused to allow her burial in the churchyard. Allegedly, the staff buried her in secret anyway and she hasn’t been seen since. If you want to know more about the ghosts, you can book a ghost tour, or just ask a member of staff, we all know about the ghosts.
You clearly love it here, but why is it so special and what are your favourite rooms?
I do it love it, partly I think because it is very much as the Thomas-Stanfords left it and it still feels like a home. I’m not the only one that gets that sense of coming home. But in particular, I love the drawing room because it is so “Ellen” and is where she showed herself off as literate and well heeled. Of course, the pet cemetery is always popular and it has the graves of an incredible 16 dogs and four cats.
Re-opening details
The grand reopening on April 5th is going to be an Edwardian-style celebration with guided tours, games, storytelling, live music and plenty of tea and cake. There will be a special Edwardian Easter celebration at Preston Manor on Saturday 12 April. Activities and live music will run from 10am – 4pm.
Preston Manor is open to visitors every weekend from 10am to 4pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 5th April to 31st October 2025. For admission charges, access information and more visit their website.
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