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The modern history of Preston Manor dates back to 1559 when the Bishops of Chichester were forced to secure property to the Crown under a new Act of Parliament.
The Domesday Book of 1086 records that Preston Manor belonged to the Bishopric of Chichester. In 1794 William Stanford bought the Manor and it stayed with the Stanfords until its sale to the local council in 1932.
In the 1800s, the Preston Manor estate stretched for miles into Brighton and Hove and down to the seafront. The history of the Stanford family and their estate impacted greatly upon the development of Brighton.
Preston Manor today shows the day-to-day lives of both the landed gentry and their servants. It also reflects the Edwardian concerns of hierarchy, social etiquette, and male and female domains.
Tales of ghostly sightings and supernatural experiences at Preston Manor go back through history.
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