Farleys House and Gallery from the outside looks like many other countryside homes in the Sussex Downs. But step inside and you will find brightly coloured walls, winding corridors, irregular and oddly shaped rooms and an incredible collection of art waiting to greet you. Beautiful gardens and countryside views set the scene. Here you can step into the remarkable lives of Surrealist photographer, Vogue model and World War II correspondent Lee Miller and English Surrealist painter and poet Roland Penrose.
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose moved to Farleys Farmhouse in East Sussex 1949, where they lived for 35 years. During this time, they were visited by some of the key personalities of twentieth century art – including close friend Pablo Picasso, as well as Max Ernst, Joan Miró, Man Ray, Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning, Eileen Agar and Henry Moore.
Today, Farleys is the base of the Lee Miller Archives and The Penrose Collection. Miller and Penrose’s son, Antony Penrose and granddaughter, Ami Bouhassane have sought to re-establish Lee Miller as one of the most important photographers of the 20th Century, from her Surrealist work to photojournalism as a female war correspondent during WWII.
Antony told me, “Lee Miller’s work has an excellent elevation but 50 years ago only a handful of people knew of her. When we started to make Lee Miller’s work more widely known it was an uphill fight not because of the quality of her work, but mainly because she was a woman. A combination of amazing teamwork, good luck and tenacity among Lee’s family, has over the years, made her widely known. We all find it very satisfying to see how many people respond the Lee’s work, and of course it deeply rewarding for us when the exhibitions, our shows and our books are notably successful.”
Now operating as a charity, Antony has given the entirety of the house, galleries and wider site to the newly formed Farleys House & Gallery Trust, securing his childhood home for the public for decades to come. This progress represents an important milestone in fortifying this unique house, now more crucial than ever given the current backdrop of turbulence for arts and heritage sites, especially those in rural locations like Farleys.
Home to the unbelievable archives
I visited Antony and Ami in May at the house to look for myself at everything they have put together. Starting with a house tour, before exploring the sculpture garden and enjoying the treats in the café. I was also incredibly lucky to have a behind-the-scenes look at the Lee Miller Archives.
The Lee Miller Archives are made up of Miller’s 60,000 negatives, manuscripts, clothing and more. On our tour, Ami told me about the discovery of some of Lee Miller’s archive, particularly clothing, which were stored in the attic. Boxes and boxes of clothes from designer bikinis, jackets and cardigans of bright bold colours – all of which were still in incredible condition.
Originally shoved in boxes labelled “rags”, Ami and Antony didn’t think anything of them and left them for another day. It wasn’t until they came to open the boxes that they had come across a gold mine. But also, one that then immediately needed to be sorted and catalogued into the archives, with appropriate storage as well as conservation advice. “Thanks a lot Nan”, Ami laughed. According to Ami, Lee was notorious for removing itchy labels, so in some cases they weren’t even sure who the designer was. Some of these garments went on to have replicas made for the Lee film (2023).
While the archives are not open for public viewing, some items are regularly loaned out for exhibitions around the world, such as Lee Miller at Tate Britain (winner of the Exhibition of the Year award at the 2026 AP Awards), or used for exhibitions at Farleys. There is also regularly a new configuration of objects used inside the house too.
Captivated by the House tour
The kitchen sets the scene for the whole house tour, you can feel presence and the weight of its importance from the moment you walk inside. Still used by staff today, the kitchen includes the original cupboards designed by Roland and a working oven that Lee won in a cooking competition.
The original kitchen table sits pride of place and is overlooked by a Picasso lithograph on the wall, this is where Miller and Penrose’s guests regularly sat chopping vegetables. The thought of Picasso or Man Ray sitting here having casual conversations over cooking feels incredibly surreal in itself.
Most interestingly, there is a special Picasso tile, gifted to Lee and Roland, placed in the wall above the range cooker. Slightly discoloured by time and cooking oils, there was a regular attempt by Patsy Murray, housekeeper at the time, to clean up the tile. Unfortunately, this was ineffective but I think this adds to its charm.
The dining room features a huge mural in the fireplace by Roland Penrose, inspired by the Sussex Downs chalk figure, The Long Man of Wilmington, as well as bright yellow walls resembling the cover of ‘Farmers Weekly’. This is where we get a deeper look into the life and relations of Penrose, as the guides share an insight into some of his paintings that don the walls.
Throughout the rest of the house are Lee’s belongings including her trusty Rolleiflex TLR, their collection of books and knick-knacks from their travels and friends.
Having taken a course to become a gourmet chef, it’s clear that Lee Miller loved cooking. There are hints of this found joy within the house, but also amongst the rest of the grounds. Ami told me, ” Within the sculpture garden is also a huge kitchen garden. Some of which is still in use growing herbs, vegetables and fruit. Alongside some of your typical classics, the café uses inspiration from some of Lee’s more unique recipes, including her Onion Upside Down Cake and the most recent addition to the menu ‘Green Bitch’, which is Lee’s version of guacamole.
Ami adds, “We try and further the experience of meeting other aspects of Lee Miller & Roland Penrose at Farleys by adding products made by contemporary artists that relate solely to them and Farleys in our giftshop.”
Exhibitions programme
There is always plenty to see at Farleys. As well as the house tour, visitors can enjoy a programme of exhibitions in the gallery.
The exhibition programme changes regularly and showcases the work of Lee Miller from the permanent collection, but also brings light to others, especially women photographers and contemporary artists; something that Antony and Ami are incredibly passionate about as they continue Miller and Penrose’s legacy of supporting emerging talent.
Talking about his parents legacy, Antony said, “We aim to represent Lee as a person and a photographer as completely as possible. Both my parents were dedicated to supporting young artists and we are keen to continue that. The way Lee inspires others is a constant source of delight to us all here at the archives. I frequently meet young people who tell me how Lee’s life has prompted them to follow their dreams and in many cases, become photographers.”
Typically, a show by another artist, such as the current show on display Dorothy Bohm: About Women, is followed by a Lee Miller specific show that takes elements of the archive, responding to a theme or section of her work. Previous exhibitions include Annabel Moeller’s Friends to Frontiers, and New Stories, Women in Photography, India, featuring the work of 25 Indian women photographers. There is also a small exhibition space in the café which hosts further displays.
Their public programme includes a series of workshops and events including talks led by exhibition curators and Antony himself. A particular highlight of the calendar is the Farleys Annual Surrealist Picnic in August, with a range of other events such taking place across the bank holiday. Farleys is also home to a range of local arts and crafts people working in studios on site.
Must-visit
If all of this wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, it was here that Kate Winslet spent a lot of time getting to know her character for the ‘Lee’ film.
“When the movie was premiered in Toronto at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2023 it was during the Screen Actors Guild strike which was supported by Kate Winslet and other members of the cast. The public release was delayed until September the following year with a big premier at The Odeon Leicester Square so it was not until 2024 that we felt the effect of all the press and publicity” says Antony.
“We doubled our Farleys visitor numbers overnight. Ami and the team had anticipated this so they had already enrolled extra staff and it went smoothly. Then came the Tate Britain Lee Miller show with its phenomenal attendance. Our 2024 increase in visitor numbers has held up well, and with the very successful release of the movie LEE in Europe and the Tate Britain Lee Miller show going on to Paris we are now getting a good number of European visitors.”
Like Winslet, I too have been inspired by Lee Miller’s vision, drive, and determination to not be pigeon-holed into one box. Being able to walk in her footsteps and experience all of this for myself has really emphasised Lee’s key part in photographic and art history.
About gaining charitable status and the future of Farleys, Ami says “I’m incredibly excited to be moving into this next chapter, with the Trust championing caring for Farleys and my grandparents I see it as a way for safeguarding their legacies for future generations.”
Antony, Ami, and the rest of the team at Farleys and the Lee Miller Archives, are doing incredible work bring Lee to light. A trip to Farleys is a real treat and must-visit day out for any art and photography.
Key information
The House, Gallery and Garden open every Thursday, Friday, Sunday and selected Saturdays (April – October). The 2026 season runs until 30 October.
- House, Galleries and Garden ticket including 50-minute guided house tour (allocated time slot for the tour): £26
- Galleries and Garden ticket: £10, free for under 12s
Booking is required for the house tour: farleyshouseandgallery.co.uk
See more about the Lee Miller Archives at leemiller.co.uk
Exhibitions at Farleys
Forest Inspired: Denise Fisk, Hiroo Lewis, Keith Pettit, Lee Miller and Derek Adams
- On now until 19th July
- A group exhibition showcasing the work of artists who are inspired by local woodland landscapes. With a particular focus on, and celebration of, the Ashdown Forest.
Dorothy Bohm: About Women
- On now until 26th July
- A show that features both black and white, and colour photographs. With images with women as their subject, taken in Sussex in the 1960s and 1970s as well as taken across the world over many decades.
From the Lee Miller Archives: Lee’s Surreal Menagerie
- On now until 30th October
- For 2026 in Farleys Cafe Gallery, is a selection of whimsical, fun images of a diverse array of animals, as photographed by Lee Miller. Miller brings wit and a surrealist eye to her depictions of a surprisingly vast collection of creatures great and small.
Grim Glory: Lee Miller’s Britain at War
- From 30th July – 30th October
- Grim Glory presents a significant selection of photographs from this pivotal period, focusing on Miller’s coverage of the Blitz and the women’s war effort. Several of these pictures were published at the end of the Second World War in ‘Wrens in Camera’ (1945) but have not been exhibited since.
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