Anne of Cleves House
Anne of Cleves House
4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Enjoy an insight into Tudor and Elizabethan life at Anne of Cleves House in Lewes. This stunning timber-framed medieval house dates back to the 15th century. It was given to Anne of Cleves at the end of her short-lived marriage to Henry VIII – although she never lived there. Explore well-preserved interiors including a Tudor kitchen, a light and airy parlour, and a beautiful bedroom complete with four poster bed. Take advantage of the selection of dressing up clothes to find your inner King or Queen and bring the historic surroundings to life. Learn about Sussex life through a fascinating collection of historic domestic artefacts. Then stroll through the garden, which is inspired by a traditional Tudor planting scheme and includes herbs, shrubs and fruit trees appropriate to the Tudor period.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- Kathleen P65 contributionsWORTH A VISITQuite difficult to find but worth it. Not a very large place but interesting to see the layout of a Tudor house and its furniture. Lots of information in all the rooms with good plans of the house and explanations of the changes made.Visited May 2024Travelled soloWritten 9 June 2024
- Ajop5 contributionsBeautiful experienceAn amazing experience! The house is beautifully preserved, and the Tudor architecture is simply stunning. The exhibits are well put together and offer a fascinating glimpse into history. The gardens are also lovely, providing a peaceful place to relax and reflect.Visited June 2024Travelled soloWritten 22 June 2024
- Devon6 contributionsReally interesting and brilliant staff!I was pleasantly surprised at just how much was here at the Anne of Cleves House. Not just to read and view, but there was a lot of interactive parts to get involved with. The Garden was wonderful also. Staff were smiley and informative. I would highly recommend!Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 30 August 2024
- KAW687London, United Kingdom2,591 contributionsTudor gemInteresting historical house. The man at reception gave us an overview and there was information in each room. It would be easy to miss the tapestry room, which would be a shame as they are very impressive. That room could do with being cleared out so you can get a good view of the tapestry. The gardens are pretty and there is a nice tearoom serving fresh baked goods. The shop has decent pocket money toys.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
395 reviews
Excellent
147
Very good
157
Average
73
Poor
11
Terrible
7
Grahame C
London, UK58 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We drove down from London on a Sunday morning when the House was supposed to open at 11am. We had previously bought tickets online. We waited for 45 minutes in the rain with OAPs and mothers with babies, no notice of closure on the door or on the website. The queue built up in the rain. No-one was available on the phone. Finally after 50 minutes someone in the queue got through to someone at Sussex Past who said "we're not opening today as no staff are available".
Now I can't get a refund, no-one is answering my emails.
Now I can't get a refund, no-one is answering my emails.
Written 4 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SIMON R
London, UK80 contributions
Jul 2022
Did a combined ticket with Lewes castle for £12.50. Good value. The house is small but lovely oak beams and tudor style small garden is lovely. Its about 10 mins walk from castle down a steep hill. Spent about 30 mins there so easily fits into a daily visit.
Written 24 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KAW687
London, UK2,591 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Interesting historical house. The man at reception gave us an overview and there was information in each room. It would be easy to miss the tapestry room, which would be a shame as they are very impressive. That room could do with being cleared out so you can get a good view of the tapestry. The gardens are pretty and there is a nice tearoom serving fresh baked goods. The shop has decent pocket money toys.
Written 10 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathleen P
65 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
Quite difficult to find but worth it. Not a very large place but interesting to see the layout of a Tudor house and its furniture. Lots of information in all the rooms with good plans of the house and explanations of the changes made.
Written 9 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Devon
6 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
I was pleasantly surprised at just how much was here at the Anne of Cleves House. Not just to read and view, but there was a lot of interactive parts to get involved with. The Garden was wonderful also. Staff were smiley and informative. I would highly recommend!
Written 30 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Breecat
Hampshire, UK5 contributions
As part of a weekend away to Eastbourne my partner and I visited Lewes and amongst other places of interest, Anne of Cleves House. After working our way very carefully down a very steep cobbled street we found the house and very lovely it is too! We were surprised it faced directly onto the street but presumed it would have had extensive grounds in the past.
Going inside you certainly got the feeling of its tudor past. The lovely dark wood, the smell and even the cobwebs gave it that authentic touch which so many old houses lack. It was a shame there were no items inside the house which originated from the early period of the house itself, however, there were many interesting items including furniture etc. which ranged in date right up to the Victorian period. There was even a section where you could try on costumes and some other visitors were having great fun doing just that!
The admission price was very reasonable indeed and good value for money. There was plenty to see and much of interest and I would recommend a visit to this lovely house to anyone visiting Lewes. And as an added bonus, there are some gorgeous public gardens open just down the road which serve teas and light refreshments, so you can relax before moving on.
I would imgine Anne of Cleves house would be a wonderful setting for a wedding and even nicer if you decided to go for a themed wedding as we would one day like to do!
Go and visit, I am sure you will be pleased you did!
Going inside you certainly got the feeling of its tudor past. The lovely dark wood, the smell and even the cobwebs gave it that authentic touch which so many old houses lack. It was a shame there were no items inside the house which originated from the early period of the house itself, however, there were many interesting items including furniture etc. which ranged in date right up to the Victorian period. There was even a section where you could try on costumes and some other visitors were having great fun doing just that!
The admission price was very reasonable indeed and good value for money. There was plenty to see and much of interest and I would recommend a visit to this lovely house to anyone visiting Lewes. And as an added bonus, there are some gorgeous public gardens open just down the road which serve teas and light refreshments, so you can relax before moving on.
I would imgine Anne of Cleves house would be a wonderful setting for a wedding and even nicer if you decided to go for a themed wedding as we would one day like to do!
Go and visit, I am sure you will be pleased you did!
Written 2 August 2005
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fiona92
UK9 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
We have just visited the cafe, which is very pleasantly situated. However, we waited over 20 minutes for a cup of hot chocolate and a pot of tea, despite two polite reminders. People who ordered food after us were served long before we were. There were four people serving, so this wasn't down to the lack of staff - no wonder we had to pay up front!
Written 4 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Drehort
Mainz, Germany371 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
During the journey to visit this house I was telling my wife that I could not understand how, after being married to a king and living in palaces, she could reconcile herself to living in a small house. I had always understood that, after her divorce from Henry VIII, she lived in Anne Boleyns old home, Hever Castle. This was one occasion that being proved correct was actually quite disappointing. Only after paying the entry fee were we informed by a curator that she owned the house, pocketed the rent and probably had never even seen the building.
I really want to rate this as "terrible" because of the misleading title but, to be fair, it is a fine example of a Tudor property which was owned by a German lady who was once briefly married to an English king.
I really want to rate this as "terrible" because of the misleading title but, to be fair, it is a fine example of a Tudor property which was owned by a German lady who was once briefly married to an English king.
Written 5 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Blucadern
Vancouver, Canada48 contributions
Sept 2012 • Couples
What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be!
At first glance, given its apparent size, I thought I’d be done within 15 minutes – but they’ve really made the most out of that little house, filling it with history, stories, how-they-lived info, gardens and a lovely gift shop. The museum is a self-guided (i.e. the best type) of tour through about six rooms: the main bedroom, the upper floor, the kitchen, the iron-works room, the garden and the main ‘living room.’ Each room (save the garden) has a good collection of relevant items along with information about what those objects are, how and who used them. The most interesting part was learning what house has been through in the last five hundred or so years, from the time before it was given to Anne, what happened after it moved out of her hands, what it became and what it was returned to. Thank you to the Sussex Archeological Society for ‘rescuing’ this fascinating treasure of English history – I leaned so much from my time here.
Also, thank you to the lady behind the counter for advising us of the discount on admission to the Lewes Castle if we bought both the museum and castle admissions at the same time – we didn’t know that and I always like saving a penny – so thank you!
The Pros:
- Fascinating, fascinating, fascinating! Tells you the ‘how it was’ stories of people living in the Tudor times in a simple, easy to read format that knows you are not a history major!
- Not chock-o-block full of ‘stuff’; the items on display are relevant to the room and to the house, so that a proper story is told that people can relate to.
- A good modest size so you don't suffer ‘leaning-overload’ from being bombarded with too many things to see.
- Self-guided allows you to take your time and see what you want.
- Lewes provides you with lots of signs point how to get there from the moment you step off the bus – thanks!
- SUPER helpful staff and so pleasant to talk with them.
- Good price!
The Cons:
- I don’t know if little children would be terribly entertained; you really have to enjoy learning about that time and the people to get the most of out this museum.
- There's a bit of a walk getting there - but it's not like Henry VIII 'foresaw' this place becoming a muesum one day; he likely gave it to Anne because it was tucked away from the main hub-bub of Lewes. How people can complain about this is beyond me but I guess it takes all types.
At first glance, given its apparent size, I thought I’d be done within 15 minutes – but they’ve really made the most out of that little house, filling it with history, stories, how-they-lived info, gardens and a lovely gift shop. The museum is a self-guided (i.e. the best type) of tour through about six rooms: the main bedroom, the upper floor, the kitchen, the iron-works room, the garden and the main ‘living room.’ Each room (save the garden) has a good collection of relevant items along with information about what those objects are, how and who used them. The most interesting part was learning what house has been through in the last five hundred or so years, from the time before it was given to Anne, what happened after it moved out of her hands, what it became and what it was returned to. Thank you to the Sussex Archeological Society for ‘rescuing’ this fascinating treasure of English history – I leaned so much from my time here.
Also, thank you to the lady behind the counter for advising us of the discount on admission to the Lewes Castle if we bought both the museum and castle admissions at the same time – we didn’t know that and I always like saving a penny – so thank you!
The Pros:
- Fascinating, fascinating, fascinating! Tells you the ‘how it was’ stories of people living in the Tudor times in a simple, easy to read format that knows you are not a history major!
- Not chock-o-block full of ‘stuff’; the items on display are relevant to the room and to the house, so that a proper story is told that people can relate to.
- A good modest size so you don't suffer ‘leaning-overload’ from being bombarded with too many things to see.
- Self-guided allows you to take your time and see what you want.
- Lewes provides you with lots of signs point how to get there from the moment you step off the bus – thanks!
- SUPER helpful staff and so pleasant to talk with them.
- Good price!
The Cons:
- I don’t know if little children would be terribly entertained; you really have to enjoy learning about that time and the people to get the most of out this museum.
- There's a bit of a walk getting there - but it's not like Henry VIII 'foresaw' this place becoming a muesum one day; he likely gave it to Anne because it was tucked away from the main hub-bub of Lewes. How people can complain about this is beyond me but I guess it takes all types.
Written 24 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glen G
Morpeth, England, United Kingdom29 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
Right, first things first. If I called this Ann of Cleves House, you'd assume she had lived there would you not? Or even at the very least that she'd visited it? Well, when you get there you discover that not only has she never lived there, but it is not even known if she visited it! She owned it amongst her property portfolio, but was also the richest woman in England at the time and live din a castle, so it would seem very unlikely indeed that she'd visit just one very minor rented property miles away from her home. All over the town there are signs pointing to Ann Of Cleves House, and whilst it is factually correct as in that she owned it, I suspect that 99%+ of visitors travelled there like us thinking they'd be seeing a house she lived in and perhaps see what she saw type of thing.
To be fair, it is still an interesting old house and worth seeing from that point of view alone. I loved the old timber and how visible the construction methods are. There is a truly fascinating collection of iron firebacks (I know, sounds boring, but they really are worth seeing as theres a lot more to them) for example as well as showing how canon were made with an actual half made one and the tooling, which i found interesting.
There are Tudor clothes for the kids to dress up in, things for them to do and even to smell to gat an idea of tudor life. Very goos. I also loved the small garden at the back which continues the Tudor theme.
However if you are hoping to step in her footsteps of experience somewhere she is known to have been, then it's not the place I'm afraid - as the displays themselves say she "may" have visited it.
To be fair, it is still an interesting old house and worth seeing from that point of view alone. I loved the old timber and how visible the construction methods are. There is a truly fascinating collection of iron firebacks (I know, sounds boring, but they really are worth seeing as theres a lot more to them) for example as well as showing how canon were made with an actual half made one and the tooling, which i found interesting.
There are Tudor clothes for the kids to dress up in, things for them to do and even to smell to gat an idea of tudor life. Very goos. I also loved the small garden at the back which continues the Tudor theme.
However if you are hoping to step in her footsteps of experience somewhere she is known to have been, then it's not the place I'm afraid - as the displays themselves say she "may" have visited it.
Written 18 August 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We hope to have my daughters wedding here. Is there parking for the house.
Written 5 March 2023
try their web site for prices
Parking is on the nearby streets or council car parks
Written 26 March 2019
Hi, I intend to visit next May - what is the cost of a ticket for a combined castle visit? thanks
Written 7 October 2016
It will be £ 12.30 for an adult and £ 11.30 for a senior ticket. Thanks
Written 2 November 2016
Izzy R
Lewes, United Kingdom
Thank you very much for your enquiry. Our lovely Cafe with Tea Garden is open seven days a week with no charge for entry.
Pricing for the Museum is as follows -
Adults - £5.40
Students & Seniors - (60yrs+) - £5.00
Children - (5-16yrs) - £3.00
Families - 2 Adults & up to 4 Children - £15.00
We offer combined tickets with Lewes Castle at a discounted rate for buying both tickets together. We also offer discounts for members of English Heritage, Museums Association and American Express staff.
We also have some 2-4-1 offers in association with Southern Railway and Gardeners World. Do check at the admissions desk when you visit.
For more information you are welcome to call us on 01273 474610 or visit our website
Where your should find more details with regards to practicalities and parking for the local area.
(unfortunately the trip advisor website will not let me post HTML or website links)
Written 15 July 2015
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