The pet cemetery
Twenty small graves in a corner of the walled garden: sixteen of the family's dogs and four cats.
In the south-west corner of the walled garden lie sixteen dogs and four cats, among them the kitchen cats the family had painted alongside their Chinese lion dog, Kylin. That little pet cemetery is what most visitors remember about Preston Manor, and it captures the spirit of the place: a rich family's home where the clock stopped in the Edwardian era, quirks and all. The house is older than it looks. Its roots go back to around 1250, it was rebuilt in Georgian style in 1738, and it was enlarged in 1905 for the Stanfords, then among the biggest landowners in Brighton. Ellen Thomas-Stanford left it to the town in 1932, so the furniture, china and servants' bells stayed where they were. The visit runs on an upstairs-downstairs logic: family drawing and dining rooms above, then the kitchen, servants' rooms and stores in the basement, with an audio trail voiced by the household. The route climbs to the attic, where the old maids' workroom is shown as a nursery, a corner children tend to enjoy. Let us be plain: this is not a royal palace and no rival to the Royal Pavilion. It is a medium-sized house done in an hour to ninety minutes, and some visitors will find it quieter than they bargained for. In return there are no queues even in high summer, the walled garden, lily pond and the medieval St Peter's church next door can all be wandered without a ticket via a level path from Preston Park, and Preston Park behind it is ideal for letting children run after the tour. Locally the manor is best known for its October evening ghost tours; if that is not your thing, keep to a daytime visit. Practically: the house opens Friday to Monday only, 10:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:15, through a season running 14 March to 30 November 2026, and shuts entirely for winter. Adults pay £14 and children (5-18) £8.50, on the door or online with a 5% discount; payment is card only. The main entrance has 11 steps and the lift links basement and ground floor only, so the upper floors are out for wheelchairs and pushchairs. From Brighton station it is one stop by train to Preston Park station, then a ten-minute walk, and there is free parking on site.
Twenty small graves in a corner of the walled garden: sixteen of the family's dogs and four cats.
Family rooms above, the servants' kitchen in the basement, and an audio trail voiced by the household.
At the top of the house the old maids' workroom is shown as a nursery, beside the housekeeping stores.
Preston Drove, Brighton BN1 6SD
With one day, the Royal Pavilion first, no contest. Preston Manor is a small, quiet house for those staying two days or more, or wanting an escape from the summer crowds on the seafront. Remember it is closed Tuesday to Thursday.
The garden, pet cemetery and Preston Park are excellent for children and free. Inside is harder: 11 steps at the entrance and a lift serving only the basement and ground floor, so leave the pushchair below and carry the little one upstairs.