The Priest's House is one of the National Trust's smallest buildings. It is located in the attractive village of Easton on the Hill, about 1.5 miles west of Stamford and was built by John Stokes (or Stokke), who was Rector of Easton from 1456 until his death in 1495. Stokes was William Browne's brother-in-law and when Browne died before completing the building of the Hospital, Stokes took over the project.
Stokes was also a canon at York and the building probably housed a priest to look after the parish in his absence. Stokes left money in his will for a chantry priest to pray for his soul and for those of his family. The chantry priest would have lived here until 1545 when chantries became illegal following the dissolution of the monasteries and the associated funds were appropriated by the Crown.
The exhibition is manned every Sunday in June, July and August from 2.00pm to 4.30pm. At other times, access to the Priest's House is obtained between 10am and 5pm by visiting one of the nearby keyholders, whose names are posted on the notice board. Entry is free, all are welcome. Group visits can be arranged by contacting the volunteer custodian, paulway@homecall.co.uk. Access for disabled people is restricted to the ground floor, as the first floor is reached by a stone circular staircase.
To celebrate the founding of the RAF 100 years ago, this exhibition describes life in the RFC and the RAF in the earliest days of flying. It also remembers the airmen from Easton who lost their lives, showing how they met their fate and how the village was involved with its two nearby airfields now amalgamated to become RAF Wittering. A 1:8 Scale Model made by Charles Armstrong of Easton of a WW1 SE5A Fighter Aircraft is on display in the Priest's House.
In 2017, around 100 riders took part in the Tour de Sands bike relay from Easton to Elviria in Spain. Over £90,000 was raised in memory of Sandra "Sands" Watson, who died of cancer in 2016. The displays provide a pictorial record of the journey and show plans that the beneficiaries of the appeal – the St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice and the Lymphoedema Support Network – have for using the funds.
An illustrated poster is available to download (PDF, 1.7MB).
The Priest's House contains a comprehensive exhibition on the production of a special type of hard limestone roofing slates, which were mined from mediaeval times until the 1950s in Easton and the neighbouring village of Collyweston, from which they take their name. The slates are unique to this area and help to give old buildings in Stamford and other local towns and villages their distinctive and attractive appearance. They were used on many prestigious buildings, such as Burghley House, Rockingham Castle, Boughton House and the Mansion House in London. The building contains many interesting architectural features, and also houses an eclectic collection of old artefacts. The exhibition includes a short video showing life down newly-reopened mine and how the slates are fashioned for use.
The Priest's House is located in West Street, Easton on the Hill, PE9 3LS, about 1.5 miles west of Stamford on the A43, Kettering Road. There is National Trust signposting within the village. It is adjacent to the former Rectory which dates from about 1700. The Rectory, which has a handsome south elevation visible from the road, was the birth place of Lancelot Skynner, Captain of the ill-fated HMS Lutine which foundered off the coast of Holland in 1799 carrying a huge cargo of gold that is still waiting to be discovered. The ship's bell was found in 1859 and hangs in Lloyds of London's underwriting room in the City.