The Mint House, Home of Sussex Folklore

Jo Seaman is Project Manager at The Mint House, close to Pevensey’s Roman fort and medieval castle. It’s now being transformed into the Home of Sussex Folklore – and we were excited to learn more about this compelling new project.

The Mint House, looking towards the Castle Gate, Pevensey.

The Mint House was originally built in the 1500s as an inn to entertain sailors and merchants from the Wealden Iron Industry. Over time, it has been transformed into private dwellings and shops, including a shop selling antiques for over a century. This shop closed its doors in 2013 and lay empty until 2019.

Two years later, The Friends of the Mint House charity was formed.

‘We wanted to give this odd, atmospheric building a future,’ Jo tells us. ‘Our mission is to do heritage differently. We’ve created a space where history meets creativity, culture, and folklore—where the past sparks conversations about today and tomorrow.

‘It was always a dream to find a place where we could invite local people to celebrate the region’s tangible and intangible heritage through learning, events, and creative exploration, and at The Mint House, this dream has become a reality. We aim for real inclusivity—not just buzzwords—by engaging our wildly diverse audience in an open, friendly environment.’

Artisan markets featuring Sussex-based makers have invigorated this creative community, while the fully licensed tattoo studio resident in the building bucks every convention for the average ‘heritage site’.

‘We’re not a museum, nor do we want to be,’ Jo confirms. ‘But we collaborate with museums and galleries to create exhibitions that dive deep into folklore, myth, and cultural heritage. One standout was ‘Bewitching Pevensey’, inspired by a 17th-century Parliamentary text. It tackled Sussex’s witch trials, herbalism, modern magick, and even commissioned a brand-new folk tale—complete with music, dance, and, of course, tattoos.’

Bewitching Pevensey exhibition.

The friends of The Mint House will inevitably take time and money. There is undoubtedly risk in a venture like this.

‘But with a buzzing creative crowd, stories in every stone, and a passionate, slightly eccentric team behind it all—the future of this Sussex oddity looks bright, bold, and beautifully weird,’ Jo says.

To find out more about The Mint House, please visit the website here.