Lewes

Getting there

By train By train to 1 Lewes Station from London Victoria (70 min), Brighton (20 min), Eastbourne or Hastings.

By bus By bus from Brighton (30 min), Eastbourne or Tunbridge Wells via Uckfield.

Getting around

On foot There are local bus services operating within the town, but realistically you can walk from one end of the town to the other in half an hour at a very leisurely pace. Those with mobility problems may have difficulty as the town is notoriously hilly.

By bicycle Cycling is easy within the town and is encouraged as an easy, healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to car use.

By car Lewes is notoriously unfriendly for car users. Unless essential, car use is unnecessary within the town; everything can be reached using a bike, a bus or your feet! The High Street is a nightmare during rush hours, as it is the main road through town and very restricted in width (narrowing at one point to the extent that traffic lights are required). A number of one-way streets, pedestrianised areas and most notably the parking situation make bringing a car to town a bit of a waste of time and money. Some roads are also so narrow that you wonder why they are even roads. Lewes has probably the most parking attendants per a head in the UK, and therefore you are almost certain be caught if you park incorrectly; also fines are quite steep. If you plan to visit by car use one of the town's car parks (there are surprisingly few, but they are for the most part conveniently located). Lewes District Council has more information.

See

1 Lewes Castle, ☏ +44 1273 486290. 10AM-5:30PM. 2 Anne-of-Cleves' House, 52 Southover High St, BN7 1JA, ☏ +44 1273 474610. 3 Monk's House, Rodmell, BN7 3HF, ☏ +44 1273 474760, [email protected]. The former home of Leonard and Virginia Woolf, some of their personal possessions are on display. Owned by the National Trust.

Do

1 Glyndebourne, New Rd, BN8 5UU, ☏ +44 1273 812321. An internationally renowned opera house, a few miles from Lewes. Glyndebourne Festival Opera. An annual opera festival that lasts throughout the summer, held in an opera house built on the country estate of the Christie family. Enjoy great opera in the purpose-built opera house. The 80-minute intervals allow you to enjoy a picnic on the lawns. 2 Southover Grange Gardens, Southover Road, BN7 1AB, ☏ +44 1273 484999. Southover Grange is a house built in 1572. It is not open to visitors, but has lovely gardens which are. Beautiful flowers and trees (including, at 350, one of the oldest mulberry trees in the country), and a knot garden with a fountain. The park is open from dawn to dusk all year round, and has a tea and ice-cream kiosk in the summer. (updated Oct 2017)

Walking on the South Downs, through the riverside Railway Land, through the Landport Woods, anywhere along the river Ouse. Shopping From antiques, organic clothing and art to old-school penny sweets, vinyl and skateboarding equipment, Lewes offers a real variety of shops alongside many coffee shops, tea rooms and general cafés. Beach Aside from the infamous Brighton beach, taking a short trip outside of Lewes one can discover several beaches that are more traditional, quiet and less crowded or spoilt, such as Newhaven, Tide Mills and the like. Local events easily found listed and promoted via the Lewes magazine (in print and online, Lewes caters to all tastes with year-round festivals and celebrations of food, music, art, film and many other attractions. Just outside of Lewes one can find "Middle Farm" which hosts cider festivals, there are beer festivals, organic food markets galore and that's not even counting the regular farmer's markets in the precinct or the regular French Market in town. Whilst the course at Lewes closed in the 1960s, you can still Spend a day at the races at the nearby Brighton (flat) or Plumpton ("jumps") courses. 3 Plumpton R

Buy

Lewes is proud of being one of the least "modernised" towns in England. You'll find lots of small independent businesses here, and Lewes shops are particularly good for old women's clothing, art, secondhand books and antiques. Almost opposite the castle entrance is Catlins, an old-fashioned sweet shop with a large range of loose sweets, fine chocolates, tobaccos and pipes. Lewes not only retains its historic atmosphere through its old shops and buildings, it also used to produce its own currency, the Lewes Pound. Historically the town produced its own notes, and the Lewes Pound was valid only in Lewes – nowhere else in the UK. Sadly the currency was discontinued in August 2025 and is no longer in circulation.

Eat

Lewes boasts a range of international cuisine including Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Polish and good old traditional English pub grub. 1 The Snowdrop Inn, 119 South St, Lewes BN7 2BU (in Cliffe, at the bottom of town), ☏ +44 1273 471 018. For a more upmarket twist on the traditional pub food menu. (updated Jan 2017) 2 Elephant and Castle, White Hill, BN7 2DJ (just off of the High Street), ☏ +44 1273 473 797. Give the legendary "Elly Burger" a go. (updated Jan 2017) 3 Pailin, 19-20 Station St, BN7 2DB, ☏ +44 1273 473 906. For an oriental flavour, wonderful Thai restaurant.

Late night revellers can try to stave off (or encourage depending on your point of view!) a hangover with chips in pitta from either the Charcoal Grill or Effies kebab houses, both found on School Hill, and try again in the morning with a "greasy spoon" full English from either The Cafe (formerly Eddie's cafe) by the Prison, or the Casbah in the bottleneck part of the High Street. For the healthier palate, nothing quite beats breakfast/brunch at Bill's Produce Store on Cliffe High Street, where you can have a delicious plate of food, and then have a browse in the grocers/produce shop under the same roof!

Drink & nightlife

The night life is essentially pubs and restaurants, but Brighton is 20 minutes away by train, a little more by bus, with all the varied and often loud and bustling night life that you could ever ask for. Taxis will take you to and from Brighton, but expect to pay £20 upwards for each journey. Harvey's bitter. One of the oldest independent breweries is right in the middle of town. Sample their wares at the John Harvey Tavern, or get take-aways from the Brewery shop on Cliffe High Street. Fine wines, too. Lewes has an unusual atmosphere at night, with most pubs serving both the younger and older crowds simultaneously and in harmony. It is not unusual for newly legal 18-year-olds to be seen sharing a pint with their parents at the same bar! There are, as with all places, exceptions, but Lewes is an extremely safe place to be at any time of day or night, and the locals are friendly and accommodating. Pubs are closing nationally, and Lewes is no exception; but as pubs close they are usually reopened by new owners, bringing with them a different atmosphere and attracting different clientele. The 1 Lewes Arms. ,2 Dorset Arms. ,Snowdrop Inn, 3 Black Horse Inn. , 4 Brewers. ,5 Dorset Arms. and