Stanmer Park is a large open park immediately to the west of the University of Sussex, and to the north-east of the city of Brighton in the county of East Sussex, England, UK. The village of Stanmer, Stanmer House and Stanmer Church are within the park, which would once have been the estate of the house. All were private until bought by Brighton's Council in 1947. It is a Local Nature Reserve. Today the park is open to the public, and there is a café,Stanmer Tea Rooms in the village. There is a major restoration project underway funded through the National Lottery, the City Council, Plumpton College and the South Downs National Park Authority, this is due to complete December 2020 with a free public garden One Garden Brighton, improved infrastructure and the heritage of the park better explained and accessible, with new volunteer opportunities and events planned for 2021. The etymological root of the name is "Stony Mere", referring to the stones around the village pond. The house was built in 1722 around an even earlier one. It was built for the Pelham family who lived there and developed the estate over many years. A mistress of King George IV also lived there. It reopened in June 2006 after extensive restoration. The lease is under the ownership of KSD with future plans to be revealed later this year. It was used as the first administrative centre of the 1961 University of Sussex, during the construction of its campus over a part of the park. A walk of elm trees was preserved within the campus design, by architect Sir Basil Spence. The church, adjacent to the village pond, was built in 1838 on the site of a 14th-century building. The church is now maintained by the Stanmer Preservation Society, which also runs the Donkey Wheel. The woods beyond the park to the north and west lead into Wild Park and the open South Downs countryside, part of the South Downs National Park. Immediately to the south of the park runs the major A27 road. English Heritage, under the National Heritage Act 1983, registered the park on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England at Grade II level.
