Lewes, East Sussex

Lewes is the county town of East Sussex.

It's a small but rather beautiful town. Lewes is steeped in history with plenty to see and do.

Even today, the highlight of the local calendar is a celebration of events several centuries ago - the wild annual bonfire celebrations - which commemorate not only Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, but the burning of the Lewes Protestant martyrs in the 16th century.

Lewes is fairly small with a population of under 20,000, but it's one of the best places to visit in Sussex.

Lewes Attractions

The main attractions of Lewes are:

Lewes Castle which was built by baronial bigwig William de Warenne after the Norman Conquest. Today the castle is still an impressive stone presence in Lewes and an interesting place to visit.

Lewes Priory used to be a real power house in Sussex, with the monks having huge influence. The Priory was another work of William de Warenne - part of the job of validating the Normans rule over England.

The dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII saw Lewes Priory become a ruin. Since then its glories have been further reduced by the building of a railway line and sports facilities across its grounds, but Lewes Priory is still worth visiting.

Another wonderful historic building in Lewes is Anne of Cleves House which, despite its rather slender connection with Anne of Cleves, is full of interest to lovers of old buildings.

Lewes Shopping

Shopping in the town is a real pleasure, with a good variety of local and unusual shops alongside a good selection of the multiple retailers you see in every town these days.