Stanmer House

Stanmer House is a Grade I listed mansion set in Stanmer Park west of the village of Falmer and north-east of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England.

Stanmer House on an August evening in 2006

Stanmer House in 2018

The house stands close to Stanmer village and Church, within Stanmer Park. Constructed by the French architect Nicholas Dubois in 1722 in a Palladian style for the Pelham family, it incorporates the remains of an earlier house, and was again altered in 1860.

The house and park were bought by the local authority in 1947.[1] The building was designated as Grade I listed in 1954;[2] the former stables, built c. 1725 but much altered, are Grade II* listed.[3]

Close to the University of Sussex campus, the house was used as a university administration building for some years in the 1960s while the campus was being built in the eastern portion of the park. After undergoing extensive renovation, it reopened in June 2006 and for use as a restaurant and events venue.

In 2009, the Willkommen Collective started a music festival at Stanmer House.[4] The first event featured performances from The Leisure Society, Alessi's Ark, Peggy Sue and more in Stanmer House and grounds. The second festival took place on 12 September 2010 and was named Foxtrot. The lineup included Laura Marling, Anna Calvi, Francois & the Atlas Mountains and Sons of Noel and Adrian.[5] The third annual festival took place in September 2011 and featured Herman Düne, Sam Amidon, This Is The Kit and more.[6]

TV celebrity Alexander Proud took over the lease of Stanmer House in 2016 and has set about renovating the Grade I listed house and gardens, renaming the House "Proud Stanmer House".

In January 2020, Proud announced that Stanmer House would close to the public as the company entered liquidation, stating that a rent increase was to blame. However many people criticised the venue under his companied operation, stating that it was poorly run.[7][8]