In Lewes in East Sussex the problem of what to do with the redundant All Saints Church was solved by making it into a venue for community, arts and youth activities. The church was handed over to the town in...

This well-preserved 16th Century timber-frame house was awarded to Anne of Cleves in her divorce settlement from Henry VIII. A remarkable example of Elizabethan craftsmanship, you may be surprised at how many of the original architectural features are still intact....

The Barbican House Museum sits beneath Lewes Castle and holds the Sussex Archaeological Society’s archaeology collection, which includes Iron Age, Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon displays. Watch ‘The Story of Lewes Town’ – a sound and light show based on a scale...

Baxter’s Field in Lewes is a peaceful and quiet part of the East Sussex town. The field is actually a privately owned piece of land that is opened to the public all year round except for one day a year...

Breaky Bottom Vineyard was founded in 1974 by the present owner Peter Hall as he believed the conditions in East Sussex closely resembled those found in more traditional French wine making areas on the Continent. Over the years Breaky Bottom...

The Baptist movement in Lewes in East Sussex have a fine place of worship in Eastgate Baptist Church. The first Baptists arrived in Lewes in 1741 and quickly established a chapel in Southover. This was replaced by a larger church...

Home to the Gage family for over 500 years, Firle Place was originally a Tudor house but was remodelled in the 18th Century so that it is similar in appearance to a French chateau. Sitting in peaceful parkland, it...

The Freemasons have had a presence in the East Sussex town of Lewes since 1747 when the Freemasons Hall was first erected. The site chosen was symbolic as it was within sight of the medieval Lewes Castle and the building...

Lewes in East Sussex has a long tradition of religious observance with many faiths being represented including the Quakers, who still meet regularly at the Friends Meeting House on Friars Walk in the town. The first Quakers arrived in Lewes...

Glynde Place is a wonderful Elizabethan manor house that is set right in the heart of the South Downs. It is the family home of Viscount and Viscountess Hampden whose forebears built the house in 1569 with a mixture...

Few bowls clubs in East Sussex can challenge Lewes Bowls Club when it comes to its atmospheric surroundings, located as it is within sight of the ruins of the medieval Lewes Priory and the ancient Mount. The club has been...

Sitting at the highest point of Lewes, the Castle provides beautiful views over the town and surrounding countryside – comprised of forest woodland and the South Downs. Built in 1087 by William de Warenne, the first Earl of Surrey and...

Lewes Golf Club is a challenging course set in the folds of the East Sussex down land. The course is laid out as a full eighteen hole course over 6218 yards and has been calculated to be a par...

Lewes Leisure Centre can be located at one end of Mountfield Road in the East Sussex town. The centre offers a wide range of fitness and exercise opportunities that include the use of a twenty five metre long swimming pool...

After many years in an inadequate and old library in the centre of town, Lewes in East Sussex now has a state of the art new library. The library is owned and operated by East Sussex Council and offers a...

Theatre lovers as well as local amateur dramatics groups in Lewes in East Sussex can practice and enjoy themselves at the Lewes Little Theatre. First established in the early 1960’s the theatre has a reputation for putting on excellent shows...

The striking remains of Lewes Priory are a powerful reminder of the battle between religion and politics. The priory was founded by William de Warenne and his wife Gundrada around 1078 and the site chosen to build the new place...

On 23rd September 1885 Lewes Town Football Club was formed when a group of local enthusiasts met at The Royal Oak public house. The club moved to its current location in 1893 known locally as ‘The Dripping Pan’. The club’s...

Lewes Town Hall is an extremely historic building. In the 14th Century an inn, owned by the monks of Southover Priory, stood where the Town Hall stands today. Following the dissolution of the monasteries during Henry VIII’s reign, the building...

The East Sussex market town of Lewes has one of the most striking War Memorials of any town in the South East of England. The monument is located right in the centre of the town and comprises of a high...

The Market Tower in Lewes is one of the oldest buildings in the East Sussex market town dating from 1792. The tower was originally erected to house the old clock and 16th Century Gabriel bell taken from St Nicholas Church...

Middle Farm, sited in the picturesque countryside of the South Downs, is a working dairy farm open to the public. Families can see cows being milked, and view a variety of other traditional farm animals – donkeys, rabbits, goats,...

The Mohair Centre is a children’s farm with Angora goats and other farm animals such as pigs, cows and chickens. Come along and watch the lambing and kidding in the Spring. Pre-booking can help you get a closer and better...

Monk’s House is famous because it was the country retreat of the world famous novelist Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard. The rooms within the house have been preserved as they were in 1969 when Leonard died and the...

The Museum of Sussex Archaeology is home to a massive collection that has been excavated from across the county. There has been a lot of activity in this area over the past few million years and the collection shows...

Pells Pool is the oldest freshwater swimming pool in the world, dating originally from 1860. The pool is fed by a freshwater spring which at least according to the Victorians’ gives the waters several health benefits. Today of course the...

In 1995 an area of former railway sidings in Lewes in East Sussex called the Railway Land was highlighted for development, a local campaign saved it and created the wonderful Lewes Railway Land Local Nature Reserve. The 25 acre piece...

Raystede makes a value for money day out for all the family. Founded in 1952 to protect unwanted animals and prevention of animal cruelty, the centre houses over a 1000 animals who now enjoy a peaceful and happy life...

Southdown Sports Club is located within sight of the ruins of the ancient Lewes Priory and offers some of the best sporting facilities in the East Sussex town. The centre boasts the very latest hi-tech equipment in its fully air...

The stunning natural beauty of Southerham Nature Reserve is part of the much larger Malling Down reserve located around one mile east of the town of Lewes in East Sussex. The large area of down is part of the South...

These simply stunning gardens are awash with dazzling colours and are meticulously preened. Dating back to 1572, the grounds still retain many of their original features including the Elizabethan house and stone-flagged terrace. Built by William Newton, Earl of Dorset,...

Southover Parish Church is a beautiful building steeped in history. Originally used as a guesthouse to serve the nearby priory, it was eventually deemed too small for this purpose and became a place of worship in this ‘suburb’ of Lewes....

St Anne’s Church in the market town of Lewes in East Sussex is undoubtedly one of the community’s finest churches. Occupying one of the highest points in the town St Anne’s Church has its roots in the 11th and 12th...

The unusually named St John Sub Castro Church means St John under the Castle, and this is appropriate as the church is located under the towering presence of Lewes Castle. In the construction of St John Sub Castro Church, the...

St Michael’s church is one of only three remaining churches in Sussex with a circular tower. Dubbed ‘the church of the castle’ and ‘tanquam Matrici ecclesie’ (Mother church), it is believed to have been regarded as the ‘senior’ church of...

One of Lewes’ most prominent churches is St Pancras Church. The church was built on the site of an earlier Victorian place of worship called Sacred Heart Church, which was demolished just before the start of World War Two. Sacred...

St Peter’s Church can be found within the small East Sussex village of Offham, close to Lewes. This large Victorian parish church was designed and built to supplement an earlier Medieval church nearby and on the 21 July 1860, St...

Visitors to Lewes in East Sussex sometimes wonder what The Mount could possibly be. Various explanations for the purpose of this earthwork have been put forward - one possibility is that it is an ancient defensive mound, another suggests that...

This gallery occupies a fascinating position in a converted stable block where the extraordinary discovery of Rodin’s ‘The Kiss’ was made after being lost for nearly twenty years. This contemporary art centre prides itself on encompassing the history and...

Thomas Paine was a revolutionary who sought the independence of England’s American colonies. Best known for being Author of The Rights of Man, he resided at Bull House on Lewes High Street between 1768 and 1774. Paine could often be...