Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, has visited Michelham Priory to celebrate English Tourism Week and discuss progress regarding restoration works on its medieval moat.
Each year, English Tourism Week celebrates the invaluable contribution that tourism businesses make to the community and local economy. Michelham Priory, which boasts the longest continual medieval water-filled moat in Britain, is one of Wealden’s historic gems attracting thousands of visitors every year. Nusrat is currently working in partnership with the Environment Agency on desilting the moat and restoring the water levels.
Michelham Priory offers a 14th century gatehouse, seven acres of impeccably kept tranquil gardens, and 800 years of history from Augustinian canons, through the Tudor times and into the Priory's later life as a country house for evacuees from London and Canadian Army during WWII. A selection of delicious cakes is also available in the on-site café.
Nusrat Ghani said: “Heritage sites such as Michelham Priory are the bedrock of Wealden’s tourism industry, creating a myriad of local jobs and attracting visitors from all over the country. Covid-19 has had a hugely damaging impact on our tourism and heritage industries and I would greatly encourage people to support our local sites and revisit them this summer. I continue to work closely with Michelham Priory manager Lindsay Lawrence and the Environment Agency to ensure that the historical moat is appropriately restored and maintained, and continues to thrive for generations to come.”
