By Jackie Harvey 
The Mint House occupies a prominent position opposite the remains of Pevensey Castle. It is somewhere I have driven by and wondered about. When the opportunity arose courtesy of the Heritage Open days I decided to wonder no longer.
I had always thought, as have many others, that the building was so called because coins were once minted there, but this is not the case. Adjacent is a smaller building where, in its garden, mint was once grown. More about the reasons later.
The building has had various incarnations since it was built around 1525. To support trade that came via the sea, it became a thriving complex of an inn and guest dormitories. Looking at a map from the 1500s compared to Pevensey today, it is difficult to imagine ships sailing in to collect cargoes of iron from the Sussex weald for transport to London and Portsmouth. (1)
Our tour was conducted by Jo Seaman, the archaeologist who, with his team, is working to restore and revive the Mint House. The building, which is grade 2 listed is in a poor state of repair since it had been neglected or patched up in ways that did more harm than good for many years. The upstairs was not accessible for the tour for safety reasons but we were able to explore the ground floor. This vast area comprises of the main building and rear service block connected by a later addition – but still in the 16th century.
Jo explained that the space would have been divided into various rooms for different uses and the service block contained a large kitchen to meet the needs of all those brought to bustling Pevensey by business. The inn absorbed neighbouring small houses and grew. Dormitories became guest rooms and as the building evolved so did the level of decoration. We were shown an example – faded but still visible – and also how it would have looked in its day. Jo described the popular style as the Wetherspoon’s décor of its time. (2)
It has been said in some quarters that the timbers in old buildings came from ships but Jo told us these timbers would be in such poor condition that this would not be possible and there may only be a couple of examples that exist. I did look into this and have discovered that, apparently, there is a cottage in Battle with a beam that appears to have a cannonball hole in it. This could be an exception that proves the rule. The timbers used in the Mint house have been dated so their age is known and they are definitely not from ships.
As for the building being used as a mint, this myth came about as there is evidence of a Norman Mint in Pevensey and old coins have been found but this was probably located within the castle itself. This makes sense as it must be considerably more secure than transferring valuable coinage from a much less protected site. Since the building was named the Mint House, it could have been a useful but untrue connection to make the history all the more interesting. We were shown a hole, which was touted as the tunnel from the ‘Mint’ to the castle. This was actually the site of the privy. Jo pointed out scratches on the wall which were doodles – the equivalent of reading a paper or phone scrolling today. (3)
The building was purchased in the early 1900s by local entrepreneur Charles Allan after a period in the mid-1800s when it was three small separate properties. He converted the now rejoined building as an Antique Shop and he renamed it The |Mint House. His aim was to attract visitors and, of course, customers to his new venture so stories about what had happened there in the past began to grow. One story he thought would be good for business was the presence of ghosts. He had been asked whether the building was haunted. His answer was to discover some and publicise them. An Elizabethan lady who was relieved of her tongue and then her life in 1586, is said to appear in one particular room. Others are said to make their presence known too. Ghost hunting evenings are held there and whether the ghosts actually exist or not I understand the ‘missions’ are well received. They include using traditional methods like glass moving, right up to more high-tech equipment.
The long-running antique shop was described by Jo Seaman as going to a National Trust property, pointing to a piece of furniture and saying ‘I’ll have that.’ Allan was a salesman who offered pieces he proclaimed to be used by, among others, Edward 6th – often to American visitors. Jo said he suspects there are several beds in America whose owners claim they have British historical provenance. Allan didn’t think 1542 was quite old enough so he sneakily changed the 15 to 13 as 1342 sounds so much better. (4)
A building as old as the Mint house surely has more secrets that Jo and his team are painstakingly revealing. They aim to create a space where history, folklore and community events can flourish. A look at the website will give much more information about upcoming events and delve deeper into the history. Today, important work is being done at one of Sussex’s most significant, although not grandest, buildings. It is rare for a structure of that age not to have been modernised or converted so there is a possibility it will be upgraded from grade 2 to grade 1 status. Jo told us this would put the Mint House up there with the likes of Windsor Castle no less.
I have lived in Sussex for over twenty years and finally got round to visiting the Mint House. There is so much more that could be said. Check out the website for forthcoming events and discover it for yourself. Well worth it.
The Mint House – Home of Sussex folklore | Explore Sussex Folklore
