Historic Lewes
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about Lewes from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover Lewes' listed buildings and places
Introducing some of Lewes' most significant historic sites, curated from the National Heritage List for England.
Lewes Quaker Meeting House
Lewes
Quaker Meeting House built in 1784 on a site which had been a Quaker burial ground since 1697.
Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon barrow cemeteries south of Jug…
Kingston Near Lewes
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
The Folly
Barcombe
Barn and cattle shed with eye-catcher, now a residence. The north-west former barn range is of late C18 or early C19 date.
Hillfort, a beacon and dewpond on Ditchling Beacon
Ditchling
Slight univallate hillforts are defined as enclosures of various shapes, generally between 1ha and 10ha in size, situated on or close to hilltops and...
Lewes Castle
Lewes
Motte castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the amenity value.
Seaford War Memorial
Seaford
Seaford War Memorial, which stands on Sutton Park Road, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: A tall granite wheel-head cross...
Lewes Signal Box
Lewes
Type 5 Signal box, 1888, built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway company at Lewes Station, by Saxby and Farmer.
A platform barrow and two bowl barrows forming a linear b…
Lewes
Platform barrows, funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (2000-700 BC), are the rarest of the recognised types of round barrow, with fewer than...
Martello tower no 74 on Seaford Esplanade
Seaford
Martello towers are gun towers constructed to defend the vulnerable south eastern coast of England against the threat of ship-borne invasion by...
Two bowl barrows, the south easternmost pair of a group o…
Seaford
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC).
Part of Plumpton Plain round barrow cemetery and an Anglo…
East Chiltington
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC).
Pedlersburgh: a bowl barrow on Telscombe Tye
Telscombe
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Bowl barrow and four hlaews on the summit of Saxon Down
Glynde
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Medieval earthworks at Balmer
Falmer
The village, comprising a small group of houses, gardens, yards, streets, paddocks, often with a green, a manor and a church, and with a community...
Stream Cottage
Glynde
Cottage, late C16 or early C17, re-fronted circa 1800. Refenestrated in late C19 and early C20 within some earlier surrounds.
Ditchling War Memorial
Ditchling
Ditchling War Memorial, situated at junction of West Street and Lodge Hill Lane, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: Group...
Nos. 12 AND 16, LANSDOWN PLACE
Lewes
A pair of houses mid to late C18. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Bowl barrow on Itford Hill
Beddingham
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Oval barrow on Cliffe Hill 200m south of Bridgwick Pit
Lewes
Oval barrows are funerary and ceremonial monuments of the Early to Middle Neolithic periods, with the majority of dated monuments belonging to the...
Bowl barrow 290m west of Firle Beacon
Firle
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Bowl barrow 200m east of Plumpton Bostall (top end)
Plumpton
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Oval barrow 775m south of Plumpton Place on Plumpton Plain
Plumpton
Oval barrows are funerary and ceremonial monuments of the Early to Middle Neolithic periods, with the majority of dated monuments belonging to the...
Platform barrow and saucer barrow 350m ESE of Blackcap
St. John
Saucer barrows and platform barrows are funerary monuments of the Early Bronze Age.
Bowl barrow 500m west of Firle Beacon
Firle
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
A pair of bowl barrows 500m north east of Overhill Lodge
Firle
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Three hlaews 400m north east of Overhill Lodge
Firle
A hlaew is a burial monument of Anglo-Saxon or Viking date and comprising a hemispherical mound of earth and redeposited bedrock constructed over a...
A saucer barrow, a bowl barrow and a pair of hlaews 350m …
Firle
Saucer barrows are funerary monuments of the Early Bronze Age, most examples dating to between 1800 and l200 BC.
Bowl barrow, the north westernmost barrow of a group of s…
Seaford
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC).
Bowl barrow forming part of a linear round barrow cemeter…
Seaford
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC).
A pair of bowl barrows forming part of a linear round bar…
Seaford
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC).
Cross dyke on Telscombe Tye
Telscombe
Cross dykes are substantial linear earthworks typically between 0.2km and 1km long and comprising one or more ditches arranged beside and parallel to...
Bowl barrow on Telscombe Tye, 650m south west of Pedlersb…
Telscombe
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Bowl barrow on High and Over, Seaford
Seaford
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Priory of St Pancras
Lewes
From the time of St Augustine's mission to re-establish Christianity in AD 597 to the reign of Henry VIII, monasticism formed an important facet of...
Faulkner's Bottom entrenchment
Plumpton
Stock enclosures of medieval and later date provided winter shelter and corralling for beasts ranging over open pasture.
Three barrows on Offham Hill
Hamsey
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Firle Beacon round barrow and two adjacent round barrows,…
Firle
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most...
Historic Lewes through time
The National Heritage List for England contains hundreds of details about buildings and places, including the periods in which they were built and the uses they've had over the years. Explore how your local area has changed through time.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion and the introduction of writing. Primarily hunter-gatherers of several human species including Neanderthals, the peoples moved across Europe, hunting animals, exchanging ideas and developing complex culture and belief systems including burial rites and astronomical understanding, as at Stonehenge for example.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanantly altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion and the introduction of writing. Primarily hunter-gatherers of several human species including Neanderthals, the peoples moved across Europe, hunting animals, exchanging ideas and developing complex culture and belief systems including burial rites and astronomical understanding, as at Stonehenge for example.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanantly altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of Lewes
Historic aerial photography shows the growth and changes in England's urban and rural landscapes, revealing secrets that are impossible to see from the ground.
Lewes
The Lewes Cement Works and environs, Lewes, 1932
Lewes
The Lewes Cement Works, Lewes, 1932
Streat
Streat Place and the church, Streat, 1952
Streat
Streat Place, Streat, 1952
Denton
The village, Denton, 1950
Denton
The village, Denton, 1950
Telscombe Cliffs
Telscombe Tye and Bannings Bottom, Telscombe Cliffs, 1934
Telscombe Cliffs
Telscombe Tye, Bannings Bottom and environs, Telscombe Cliffs, 1934
Lewes
Housing estate at Hamsey Crescent and Windover Crescent, Lewes, 1936
Lewes
Housing estate at Hamsey Crescent and Windover Crescent, Lewes, 1936
Historic England Archive images of Lewes
The Historic England Archive holds and cares for over 15 million images, from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of Lewes' past.
Charles George Harper Collection
Southease, Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1892 - 1933
Southease Church, seen from the south-east
John Gay Collection: Modern Architects
Coopersale, Epping Forest, Essex
Date created: 1970 - 1979
The modern terrace of houses at 60 to 63 Parklands, part of a late 20th century housing estate at Coopersale
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1959
A scene from the Whitsun fair near Lewes, East Sussex in 1959, showing a fancy hat stall and its customers, and a couple of small children playing...
John Gay Collection: Counties
Exceat Bridge, Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1972
Looking through an open porthole window in The Golden Galleon towards Cuckmere Haven
John Laing Collection
Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 10 Aug 1992
A view of the Tesco supermarket in Lewes from the opposite bank of the River Ouse
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1915 - 1935
GENERAL VIEW
Charles George Harper Collection
Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1892 - 1933
A view from the south-west of St Michael's Church, showing the round west tower
John Gay Collection: Modern Architects
Coopersale, Epping Forest, Essex
Date created: 1970 - 1979
View from beneath the canopy in front of the shops at Coopersale, looking towards the houses at 20-27 Parklands
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1959
A close-up of a young boy biting into a toffee-apple at the Whitsun fair near Lewes, East Sussex in 1959.
John Gay Collection: Counties
Exceat Bridge, Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1972
Part of the front facade of The Golden Galleon, one of a chain of fish and oyster restaurants called Wheelers, showing its shutters with cut out...
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1900 - 1904
EXTERIOR VIEW OF TEA ROOM
John Gay Collection: Counties
Exceat Bridge, Lewes, East Sussex
Date created: 1972
The timber framed interior of The Golden Galleon, one of a chain of fish restaurants and oyster bars called Wheelers, showing two men standing at a...
Stories about heritage in Lewes
Historic England publishes news, blogs, videos and podcasts celebrating England's heritage. Discover the stories we have about Lewes.
The History of England’s Village Greens
Mentions Ringmer War Memorial
The origins of village greens in England date back to the early Middle Ages. Village greens are open spaces that can be registered.
7 Inspiring Writers’ Retreats
Mentions Lewes, Monks House
Many of our favourite author’s writing spots are protected.
£750k Grant Kickstarts Madeira Terrace Restoration in Brighton
Mentions Lewes
Historic England has committed £750,000 towards the restoration of Grade II* listed Madeira Terrace in Brighton, East Sussex.
The South Downs Explored From Above: A Landscape of Rich Archaeology Revealed
Mentions Part of Western Brow round barrow cemetery and an Anglo-Saxon barrow field 700m south of Westmeston Farm, Lewes
Aerial imagery used to map hundreds of archaeological sites across part of the South Downs.
Explore your social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about heritage in their local area.
War Memorial, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex
Period: World War One (1914 - 1919)
This First World War memorial was built in 1920 by the architects March and March.
War Memorial, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex
Toll Gate, Southerham, East Sussex
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
Two women standing by the toll gate and house at Southerham. It looks a bleak and isolated location.
Toll Gate, Southerham, East Sussex
The Old Forge, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex
Period: Tudor (1485 - 1602)
This building was built in the late 16th century as a house. It was altered in the 18th and 19th centuries for industrial use.
The Old Forge, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex
The Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven, East Sussex
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
This building was constructed in 1882 to house several engineering workshops. The workshops have been used to repair both train and ship engines.
The Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven, East Sussex
The Carpenter's shop, Railway Quay, Newhaven, East Sussex
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
This building was constructed in 1885 as a carpenters shop for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway Company.
The Carpenter's shop, Railway Quay, Newhaven, East Sussex
The Bridge Hotel, High Street, Newhaven, East Sussex
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
This hotel was built in the 18th century as a Georgian residence. The building is famous for housing King Louis Philippe of France and his family.
The Bridge Hotel, High Street, Newhaven, East Sussex
The Ancient Fig Gardens, South Street, West Tarring, Worthing, West Sussex
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
Exterior view of the tea room.
The Ancient Fig Gardens, South Street, West Tarring, Worthing, West Sussex
Tea interval, Lewes, East Sussex
Period: 1950s (1950 - 1959)
A woman serves tea during the tea interval at a cricket match at thet Whitsun fair near Lewes in 1959.
Tea interval, Lewes, East Sussex
Discover more Heritage nearby
Have you got another local place, or somewhere you're planning to visit? Take a look at these other places nearby
