Sackville College

Sackville College is a Grade I listed building, originally founded as almshouses in 1617 by the 2nd Earl of Dorset. The construction began as a private dwelling in 1609 and was completed as almshouses in 1619. The building was restored by Butterfield in the 19th century.

The structure consists of a four-square range of Sussex and Ardingly sandstone buildings arranged around a quadrangle, situated on high ground that is prominently visible from Lewes Road and the west end of High Street. The main façade faces south and features two storeys with eleven windows, three gables, small mullioned windows, a band, and a central doorway. There are two large brick chimneys positioned between the gables, and the roof is covered with Horsham slabs. A sun dial is located on the centre gable.

An arched doorway with pilasters and an architrave leads into the spacious quadrangle. Each side of the quadrangle has a mid-accent with a gable. To the right, on the east side, is the chapel, which has a four-light window with a transom and arched lights. Opposite, on the west side, are the refectory and common room, which repeat the same window motif to maintain symmetry.

The Dining Hall, located in the northern range known as Dorset Lodgings, is part of the original house. Above the entrance is a panel displaying the Dorset coat of arms. Flanking the entrance are two full-height mullioned windows with transoms. The hall features a minstrels' gallery, a restored hammerbeam roof, and a fireplace with the inscription "I pray God bless my Lord of Dorset and my Ladies and all their Progeny. Anno d 1619," which was probably originally in the chapel. The hall also contains much contemporary furniture and chairs stamped with the initials R S. The chapel was restored between 1846 and 1866 by Butterfield under the direction of Rev Dr Neale, who was a Tractarian hymologist and the warden of the college, in an early 14th-century style. The college is significant for its role in the renaissance of Anglo-Catholicism.

In the quadrangle, there are two lead cisterns that are handsomely ornamented with Sackville and other emblems, dated 1700 and 1750. A 19th-century tiled turret with a lantern and louvers is situated over the Dorset Dwellings.