In the heart of Eastbourne’s Old Town, within the green surrounds of Gildredge Park, stands an elegant Georgian manor house with a remarkable double life. Gildredge Manor was home to one of the two families who owned Eastbourne — and for more than 80 years it was the town’s beloved art gallery. Here’s the story of the house behind the park.
A vicar’s mansion
The house was built around 1776 by the Reverend Dr Henry Lushington, vicar of Eastbourne, on the site of a former inn — a fine late-Georgian mansion raised in the reign of George III. Its architect is unknown, though it shows the influence of the era’s great designers, with elegant features in the manner of the Adam brothers and a garden “Hermitage,” known as the Adam House, in the grounds. It was clearly admired from the start: a description of 1787 called it “the best house and gardens in this village, most delightfully situated” for its views of land and sea. In those days, of course, Eastbourne was still just a scatter of villages, and this was one of its grandest homes.
The Gilberts: lords of the manor
In 1792 the house was sold to a relative, Charles Gilbert, and when he inherited the manor of Eastbourne-Gildredge a few years later it became, simply, “The Manor House.” This was no ordinary family. The Gilberts — later the Davies-Gilberts — were one of the two great landowning dynasties who between them owned almost all of Eastbourne, the other being the Cavendishes, the Dukes of Devonshire. The Gildredge name itself was ancient, belonging to a family who had owned much of Eastbourne as far back as the 1550s; the Gilberts absorbed the estate through marriage and made the manor house their own. The house stayed in the family for well over a century, until they finally sold it in 1922.
Did you know? The Davies-Gilbert family never really left — they still own a great deal of land in and around Eastbourne and East Dean to this day, and the Gildredge name lives on in the park that surrounds the old manor.
The town’s first art gallery
When the manor came up for auction, it was bought by Eastbourne Borough Council in the early 1920s for around £19,000 — and given an entirely new purpose. A local alderman, John Chisholm Towner, had left the town a bequest of money and his personal collection of paintings, and the old Manor House became the perfect home for it. So was born the Towner Art Gallery, which for more than 80 years welcomed visitors to see art and local history displays in these gracious Georgian rooms. For generations of Eastbourne residents, “the Towner” and this house in the Old Town were one and the same.
Decline and rescue
The gallery finally outgrew its historic home. In 2009 the Towner collection moved to a striking, purpose-built modern gallery beside the Congress Theatre in Devonshire Park — where it thrives today — and the old Manor House was sold off. Sadly, it then stood empty for around six years and fell into a sorry state, with lead stripped from the roofs letting in water and rot. Its salvation came in 2011, when new owners took it on, restored it with great care, and renamed it Gildredge Manor. Fine original features — the main staircase, panelled doors, door cases and ceiling cornices — were brought back to life, and the house was returned to use.
Gildredge Park & Manor Gardens
The house sits within one of Eastbourne’s loveliest green spaces. As early as the 1860s there were discussions about preserving this stretch of open land between the historic Old Town and the new resort growing up around the railway and seafront. The council duly bought Gildredge Park from the Davies-Gilberts in 1908, adding the adjoining Manor Gardens in the 1920s. Today the park offers lawns, a café, tennis courts, a bowls club and a playground, while the more intimate Manor Gardens beside the house are known for their rose garden and shady walks — among the best green spaces in the town.
Gildredge Manor today
Beautifully restored, Gildredge Manor now serves as a private home, a language school and an exclusive events and wedding venue, its Georgian rooms once again full of life. While the house itself is private, the surrounding Gildredge Park and Manor Gardens are open to all, and you can admire the manor’s handsome frontage from the grounds on any stroll through the Old Town.
Please note: Gildredge Manor is a private venue and is not generally open for casual visits, though it opens its doors for events and occasional community and heritage occasions. Please enjoy the house from the public park.
Gildredge Manor: FAQs
What is Gildredge Manor?
A Grade II listed Georgian manor house in Eastbourne’s Old Town, built around 1776. Once the home of the Gilbert family — major landowners of Eastbourne — it later became the original Towner Art Gallery, and is now a restored private events venue.
Was Gildredge Manor the old Towner gallery?
Yes. From the 1920s until 2005 the manor housed the Towner Art Gallery and local history museum. The collection then moved to a new purpose-built gallery beside the Congress Theatre, which opened in 2009.
Can you visit Gildredge Manor?
The house is a private venue and school, so it isn’t generally open for casual visits — but it hosts weddings and events, and the surrounding Gildredge Park and Manor Gardens are free and open to everyone.
Why is it called Gildredge?
After the Gildredge family, who owned much of Eastbourne centuries ago. Their estate passed by marriage to the Gilbert family, and the name survives in both the manor and Gildredge Park.
Explore more: the modern Towner gallery, a wander through Eastbourne Old Town, and the Dukes of Devonshire who shared ownership of the town.