The Austin Friar's Monastery, Rye

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Interior of the Austin Friar’s Monastery, Rye
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The Austin Friar’s Monastery, Rye

About

Tucked within the cobbled Citadel of Rye, just five minutes from the station, the Austin Friar’s Monastery is a rare architectural palimpsest: a 14th-century monastic chapel sensitively transformed through layers of industrial intervention and contemporary design. Once derelict and abandoned for decades, the building has been meticulously restored and re-imagined, allowing light, scale and luxury to re-enter a place of deep spiritual and historical resonance.

At the heart of the property is the former chapel, arranged across two principal floors with additional mezzanine levels. Here, original medieval stone tracery windows sit alongside riveted iron beams, concrete floors and factory style glazing, creating an extraordinary dialogue between ecclesiastical architecture and brutalist industrialism. The upper chapel space rises almost nine metres to the apex, with galleried walkways and sight lines that reveal the full drama of the exposed timber roof and historic stonework.

Surrounding the chapel are a series of richly contrasting ancillary rooms, including a beamed dining room, study with original stone archway, entrance hall, office space and bedroom suite, each offering distinctive atmospheres and a wide range of visual textures. The interiors are layered with antiques, artworks and furnishings collected from across Europe and beyond, all available for use during shoots.

To the west, a Georgian cottage is attached to the monastery and can be incorporated as a complementary domestic setting or used for accommodation. To the east, a 1927 annex houses a kitchen and opens onto a walled courtyard garden. Beyond this, the main garden unfolds with a distinctly Italian monastic character, combining corten steel elements with olive and cypress planting, ancient trees and gravelled outdoor dining areas.

Despite its central location within the town, the monastery feels private and self-contained, more akin to a secluded country house than an urban building. Entered through large corten steel gates and available strictly by appointment, it offers a deeply atmospheric, flexible and visually rich setting for film, photography and private events.

Key Features

• 14th-century monastic chapel with later industrial and brutalist interventions
• Two-storey chapel with mezzanines, galleried walkways and floor-to-apex height of approximately 8.7 metres
• Original medieval stone tracery windows, exposed timber roof and riveted iron beams
• Industrial ground floor with concrete floors, factory-style doors and high-level glazing
• Multiple ancillary rooms including study, dining room, entrance hall, office and bedroom suite
• Georgian cottage attached to the west, suitable for shoots or accommodation
• 1927 eastern annex with kitchen and access to a walled courtyard garden
• Large landscaped garden with Italian monastic influence, corten steel elements and outdoor dining areas
• Curated collection of antiques and furnishings available for prop use
• Central but private Citadel location, five minutes from Rye station, with on-site parking

Enquire for further details

Modern interior space with two black leather chairs, a glass side table, a round mirror, a wall-mounted adjustable lamp, a vintage radiator, and a marble pedestal, with a patterned rug on the floor.
Elegant interior of a lounge or boutique space with vintage furniture, floral arrangements, and decorative dried branches.
A vintage interior scene with a blue and white armchair, a white beaded armchair, a classical statue on a pedestal, a wrought iron door, and a mural or decorative wall design.
Interior of a stylish dining room with a large vase of red flowers on a long dining table, surrounded by glassware and bowls. The room features high ceilings, large windows, modern hanging light fixtures, wall art, and vintage radiators along the wal
A rustic dining or conference room with a large wooden table, hanging pendant lights, a wall clock, and artwork including a rearing horse, framed pictures, and abstract pieces.
An interior room with hanging lights, a large wooden table, wall art including a clock and paintings, and a staircase or railing.
An industrial-style interior room with large windows, a long wooden table, hanging light fixtures, and various decorative art pieces on the walls, including a painting of a bear.
Interior of a modern salon or spa with hanging pendant lights, a large wall clock, a tall palm plant, and various furniture including benches and station stations.
Top-down view of a living room with large windows, a mix of modern and vintage furniture, a black round bowl, a sofa, and various decorative items.
Interior of a church or chapel with high vaulted wooden ceilings, chandeliers, and a blue patterned rug. Decorated with flower arrangements, chairs, and an ornate mirror or altar at the back.
Spacious room with high wooden ceiling, chandeliers, and large windows with flower arrangements, some chairs, and a glass table on a patterned rug.
View of an indoor space with a high wooden ceiling, exposed beams, and a balcony with a wooden floor and black railing, overlooking a sunlit area with decorations and seating.
Indoor balcony area with a small dog, floral arrangement on a standing table, staircase, decorative metal radiator, and vintage wall decor.
A vintage green upholstered chair and a glass table with gold accents, holding a green vase with pink and peach flowers, set against an ornate stone wall with gothic arches.
A stylish interior room with pink and white walls, a large mirror, a white upholstered chair, a small dog sitting on a round rug, and decorative elements including wall sconces, a round mirror, and wall art.
Dual marble sinks with gold faucets in a luxurious bathroom, with pink walls, gold mirrors, and a mirrored cabinet storing toiletries and beauty products.
A bedroom with an ornate metal bed frame, a round chandelier on the ceiling, a textured wall with a closed door, a bathtub in the corner, and a cowhide rug on wooden floorboards.
A modern interior room features a large beige built-in wardrobe with gold handles, a wooden beam ceiling, a black radiator, a small round wooden stool, and a light-colored cowhide rug on wooden flooring.
Empty beige marble bathtub with a decorative base, centered in a room with pink and brown walls and dark wooden flooring.
A rustic brick building with an open wooden door leading inside, decorated with a wreath made of pinecones and antlers, and a window above the door.
Stone building with several tall windows, plants in pots, outdoor furniture, and a black vehicle parked nearby.
Outdoor patio with a wooden table, chairs, and candles in front of a stone building with large windows and tall green plants.
A historic brick and stone building with a sloped roof, a window, and a narrow black door, surrounded by a hedge and black posts with chains, with a bright blue sky in the background.
A historic stone building with a red-tile roof, an external staircase with metal railing leading to a door, a tree with green leaves on the right, and a street with sidewalk and bollards in the foreground, all under a clear blue sky.
Stone building with large windowed door, flanked by two potted plants, and two tall narrow trees on either side.
A small dog, possibly a French Bulldog, sitting on a colorful, patterned sofa with cushions. Behind the sofa is a pink wall with a framed portrait of the Madonna and Child. To the right, there is a small table with a lamp.
A rustic dining room with a wooden table and four wooden chairs, set against a green wall with two doors and an angled panel.
A cozy kitchen corner with brick wall, blue cabinet, brass sink, hanging colorful cups, plates, and kitchen utensils, and open shelving with cookware.
Kitchen brick wall with open brick fireplace, open shelves with dishes and cups, and a blue cabinet with brass sink and faucet. A table with wooden chairs is in the foreground.
A cozy living room corner with a green sofa adorned with pink cushions, a white coffee table holding a vase with pink and white flowers and a stack of magazines or books, a pink wall with a framed religious painting, a brick fireplace with a large ro
Living room with a green sofa covered with a textured blanket and pink pillows, a wooden table with a large stack of magazines and a vase of flowers, framed art on the wall, a window with curtains, and a small side table with a lamp.
Living room with pink walls, a window with colorful vases and flowers, a white armchair with pink trim and an orange pillow, a second armchair with a French Bulldog, a marble and wood cabinet with an ornate design, a black standing lamp, a modern cei
Decorative black lacquered cabinet with intricate gold landscape painting on it, flanked by two white chairs with pink and orange cushions, against a pink wall with framed artwork and a small casting lamp on a stand.
A room with a beige armchair with pink edges and an orange pillow, orange curtains on the left, a decorative dark green cabinet with gold details on the right, a floor lamp next to the armchair, and a framed painting on the wall above.
A cozy bedroom with pink walls, a large window with blue and pink curtains, a bed with a white quilt and pink pillows, a small black nightstand, and a bronze lamp. A framed painting and a metal wall sculpture are hanging on the wall.
A bedroom with a brass bed, pink bedding, and a quilt. There is a wrought iron crucifix on the pink wall, a lamp on a nightstand, a mirror over a brick fireplace, and a vase of flowers on a side table.
A bedroom with a metal bed, pink walls, religious and artistic decorations, and a window with blue curtains.
Vintage wooden drawer cabinet with numerous small drawers, a tall standing mirror with a gold frame, a candle holder on the mirror stand, a window with light-colored curtains, and a crucifix on the windowsill.
A vintage bathroom with a cream-colored sink and gold fixtures, seen through an open door leading to a hallway with a radiator, artwork on the wall, and a wooden door to another room.
Vintage bathroom sink with a white marble basin and brass fixtures, mounted on four brass legs, with an antique gold mirror above reflecting a room with a window and decorative items.
Vintage bathroom with gold bathtub, pink curtain, and an ornate mirror, featuring a brass sink and a framed mirror on light blue walls.
Interior of a vintage-style room with two small windows, pink and teal curtains, a wooden mirror with ornate carvings, a wooden sign above one window, and a radiator underneath the mirror.
Decorative mirror with an ornate gold frame hanging on a light blue wall between two pink and teal curtains.
A vintage-style, shiny, metallic bathtub with visible cracks, positioned under a pink curtain, with a blue wall and tiled floor surrounding it.
A courtyard with large potted trees, a table with chairs, and old brick buildings, under a blue sky and shade from a tree.
A rustic corner of an outdoor garden with green bushes, potted plants, and a rusted metal fence, next to brick and stone apartment building walls.
A brick building exterior with a black door and a window, black drainpipes, a small tree in a white pot, and a metal fence in front.
A brick house with black-framed windows, a black door, and a small garden with trees, shrubs, and a decorative fence, under a bright sun in a clear sky.
A small garden with potted plants, including a palm and an agave, in front of a brick house with multiple windows and a stone wall. A wood fence separates the garden from a stone-paved area.

Image credit: Home owner

CAPACITY

Enquire

ACCESS

Flexible

STYLE

Former 14th-century Austin Friars monastery
Ecclesiastical with industrial and brutalist interventions

SIZE

Enquire - Chapel arranged over two principal floors with additional mezzanine levels

PAINTING & DECORATING

N/A

LOCATION

East Sussex

DOWNLOADS

Information

FEATURES

Original stone tracery windows
Floor to apex height of approximately 8.7 m
Riveted iron beams and exposed structural elements
Lime plaster and exposed stone walls
Factory style windows and doors
Concrete and wooden flooring
Curated collection of period furniture and antiques available for prop use
High ceilings and galleried sight lines

SPACES

Main Chapel
Mezzanines
Attached cottage - additional hire
Walled courtyard garden

SERVICES

Antiques and furniture

PARKING

On-site parking available
Approximately 8 vehicles

OTHER

Private location

Due to the evolving furniture collection a recce is recommended