URPoint Details
Suitable access is limited to ground level for anyone who has difficulty walking. Shop. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Begun in 1100 by William de Warenne, a follower of William the Conqueror, and built on two huge man-made mounds. Outside the castle, at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, King Henry III, was defeated by Simon de Montfort. The two existing octagonal towers were built about this time, and the impressive Barbican gateway about a century later. This enormous gateway is one of the finest examples surviving today.
As part of a fascinating tour of the Castle, you can go into the rooms over the gateway as well as to the top of one of the octagonal towers, from where there are magnificent views over Lewes in all directions. 13th century towers give commanding views to the sea. Walk through the 14th century gateway and see the thickness of its curtain walls above Castle Ditch Lane.
The museum charts the history of the county and its people from early beginnings to medieval times, and portrays the impact of the invasion of the region. The museum includes rooms devoted to Lewes history and the Sussex iron industry. This area was once world famous for the production of cannons. The
- Type:
- Museum