Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, visited Michelham Priory to meet the new property manager Dan Cook and to discuss the progress of the works on the historic moat.
Michelham Priory boasts Britain’s longest continual medieval water-filled moat, which stretches a mile and encircles its site. However, due to gradual silt deposition and increasing invasive growth of aquatic plants, the moat has been deteriorating. The loss of available water in the moat during the summer months has archaeological and environmental ramifications and the moat needs desilting and restoring a controlled, continuous waterflow.
Nusrat raised her serious concerns about the matter during a Parliamentary debate in September 2020 and has since been holding regular meetings with Directors of the Environment Agency and Michelham Priory management to establish a tangible plan for solving the problem and implement a long-term management strategy.
Nusrat Ghani said: “Michelham Priory is a wonderful piece of history, and I am proud that Wealden is the home of the UK’s longest medieval water-filled moat. I welcome Mr Cook to his new role and I am pleased that the Environment Agency continues working in partnership with Michelham Priory Management on long-term strategies to restore the moat. It is absolutely vital that the issue is addressed, and I will continue keeping a close eye on the case.”
