Grant awarded to help repair 'real local icon'

The charity tasked with rescuing an "incredibly important" building in East Sussex has been given a grant of over £21,000 by Historic England.

Pevensey High Street is home to the Mint House, a Grade II-listed building which is currently on the Heritage at Risk Register due to its poor condition.

Friends of the Mint House, formed in 2021, have been awarded £21,120 to help develop plans to rescue the building which dates back to the early 16th Century when Henry VIII was on the throne.

Jonathan Seaman, the charity's project manager, says this funding "really is the next step for us".

Mr Seaman told BBC Radio Sussex: "What we need to do now is actually look after the building and repair the building, which is really what the project is all about."

The charity already runs a number of events at the Mint House, with this grant intended to accelerate repair plans for the building.

It will fund a structural engineer's report, conservation management plan and a costed condition report.

The timber-frame building, which stands opposite Pevensey Castle, is one of the largest 16th Century detached kitchen buildings known to survive in East Sussex.

Mr Seaman says the Mint House is "a real local icon, but more than that it's actually a building that is incredibly important".

Tom Foxall, regional director of Historic England, said: "Together with the Friends of the Mint House we're building a clearer picture of this wonderful historic building, its construction, condition, and exactly what's needed to repair it."

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