Lewes

Lewes, the county town of East Sussex is a mixture of the impressive, the unusual and the intriguing. Although surrounded by chalk cliffs, it is William de Warenne's Norman Castle that dominates the townscape.

The Saxons called the town "Hlaew" which means hill and visitors to Lewes can see how it got its name. The main High Street follows the original Saxon route across country. Lewes was also important as a port because the River Ouse, which runs through the town, was much deeper then and navigable many miles upstream.

The Normans settled in Lewes soon after 1066. The town was given to William de Warrene (a multimillionaire by today's standards!) and it was he who ordered a strong fortified castle to be built. He and his wife, Gundrada also founded the great Cluniac Priory of St Pancras. There are guided tours through the remains of the Priory during the summer. The Priory church was longer than Chichester Cathedral. You can see a model in Anne of Cleves Museum.

Mediaeval Lewes saw the Battle of Lewes in 1264 between Simon de Montfort and Henry III. Henry's brother Richard is said to have hidden in a windmill near St. Anne's Church during the battle! The battle led to the treaty known as the Mise of Lewes whereby Henry had to agree to consult not only his own nobles, but also representatives from other areas. This was the beginning of what we now know as the House of Commons.

The advent of the Tudors saw the town involved in religious turbulence for many years. Thomas Cromwell, under Henry VIII's orders, closed the monasteries including the great Cluniac Priory. He took the Prior's lodging in Southover High Street as his own manor house. Malling Deanery at the end of Church Lane in South Malling was converted into private apartments, and stones from the Cluniac Priory were used in building Southover Grange and its gardens.

During Mary's reign, seventeen protestant men and women were burned at the stake outside the Star Inn (now the Town Hall) for heresy. Their memorial is situated on a hill overlooking Lewes. Lewes Bonfire remembers them, as well as the gunpowder plot in November each year.

Many fine houses were built and timber framed buildings were altered to fit in with current fashion by having "mathematical tiles" fixed to them. The tiles mimicked the brick fronts of new houses. There are several different types of "mathematical tiles" to be found in Lewes, from the shiny black ones of Bartholomews opposite the Barbican Museum to the yellow ones in Southover High Street.
Paved streets, street lighting and the railway came to Lewes in Victorian times. Lewes was a hive of industry. Boat building was thriving and large vessels came to dock at the quay below Cliffe Bridge because many goods were brought in by river. Brewing was also important. It is said that at one time there was one brewery for every day of the week and a pub for every week in the year in Lewes! Now there is just one brewery left which is housed in magnificent Victorian Gothic buildings. On Tuesdays, the aroma of malt and hops from Harveys Brewery wafts across this part of the town.

There is plenty to see and do in Lewes. There are a variety of speciality shops throughout the town selling a range of items including home made chocolate, candles, craftwork, art and books. Antique shops abound and it is good to see how mediaeval buildings have been adapted sympathetically to cater for modern tastes.

The Cliffe area of Lewes has been paved to provide a pedestrian precinct with a variety of shops. Cross over Cliffe Bridge and turn left down North Court to take the riverside walk to South Malling, which has a lovely church, and admire the splendid buildings of Malling Deanery.

Southover can be reached by walking down St Martin's Lane opposite the Castle. It is a steep hill, but look at the overhanging buildings as you go down. Most date from the 17th century or earlier. Enter the gardens of 16th century Southover Grange at the bottom of the hill. Walk through the gardens, which have a collection of rare trees (including a very old mulberry tree and a North American Tulip tree), to Eastport Lane. A little further up the road you will see the grand Georgian houses of Priory Crescent standing back from Southover High Street. Anne of Cleves House, near the end of the road is now owned by Sussex Archaeological Society. It is open all year and houses many artefacts relating to the Sussex Iron Industry and Lewes history.

Lewes Town Hall stands on the site of an inn, which dated back to the 14th century and was owned by the Priory. After the dissolution, it was known as the Star Inn. From 1555 to1557 protestant martyrs were imprisoned in the cellars while waiting to be burned at the stake. You can still see the stone steps which they climbed into the High Street

Lewes House is a beautiful Georgian house, which was once owned by Edward Warren, a wealthy American art collector. He commissioned Auguste Rodin to create "The Kiss". This sculpture was housed in Lewes House and went on show in the Town Hall. It was later sold to the Tate Gallery where it is one of the most popular pieces of art on show. The statue came back to Lewes Town Hall in 1999 where record numbers of visitors admired it before it was returned to London.