West Blatchington Manor House

A strange and sad place

by Pamela Platt

I wonder if anyone remembers the old Manor House which stood to the east of the windmill? It was demolished by the Council in the mid/late 1950's and flats built. I remember, as a very young child, going into the old manor house with my parents, Eric and Hilda Holden, who were well-known local archaeologists. I think my father would have been surveying, photographing and drawing the house to preserve a record of it. I remember it was in a very dilapidated condition with holes in the ceilings, and I can recall the damp, mouldy smell. In the grounds, which were very overgrown, there was a well which we weren't allowed to go near unless accompanied by our parents. To a child, it was a strange and sad place.