Lewes Castle & Museum — Attraction in Lewes

We visited as part of a weekend road trip around the South East of England and Lewes was our stop on the way home. Lewes is a beautiful old town but visiting isn’t the easiest thing. We used the Market Lane car park but that has limited spaces. The other parking spots we saw are a bit further away but it’s a pretty town with a lot to see anyway.

The castle itself is signposted from the High Street and you go into the museum just to the right of the gatehouse. From there you get your castle tickets and get access into the garden that has the walkway up to the shell keep that forms the majority of the castle remains now.

It was a beautiful day and we spent some time in the garden – with stocks in, such a great way to deal with petty crime! The climb to the keep was quite steep but the path is very well laid out and it was easy to pause for views periodically.

The summit of the motte holds the shell keep with two existing towers and a large fireplace in the outer wall. You can go inside one of the towers and on to the roof to look at the lovely views over the South Downs and read about the history of the castle on various information boards.

Part way up, or down, the climb is a path leading to the gatehouse which you enter above ground level and there are rooms with children’s activities and costumes before you reach the roof where you can see the machiolations and views over the town.

The museum is also excellent – there’s a history of the town and then exhibits that the Sussex Archeological Society have obtained...

Many, many, years since first visit in 70s. We were too late to explore much but my great grandchildren loved it and we plan to visit again. We did go in the museum and enjoyed the Town Model and film, as well as exhibits. My great granddaughter practised reading braille which she'd learned a little of at school. Well done school. I'm a member of Sussex Archaeological Society, so had free admission. Well worth joining as they do great work, own a number of historic buildings and produce some excellent books. Having visited the library several times, I can say that I've always found the staff very helpful and friendly. I'm not sure I would have manage much of the castle however long I had as my mobility is very poor. Can hardly expect castles to cater for that. I remember how impressive the views are though and there was lots of information about the history of the castle, town and area. Lewes was a very significant place in the past and the priory was one of the most important religious monasteries in the country. Just ruins now but it must have been very impressive. There are bookable guided tours from April...

Surprisingly hard to spot when coming into the town. It's only when you are right under the castle can you see it due to the surrounding buildings.

The museum is right on the high street, and it is a requirement to go through here on order to get tickets to enter the castle. It's worth checking the museum itself, as it's in a very old building and has lots of local artifacts. One way system is in places to make it safe due to covid-19.

Tickets are around £6 for adults, which is only a small price to pay to help with preservation. Once you have your ticket you are taken through to the castle itself. While not a huge castle, it still is very imposing on the surrounding landscape.

Great for history buffs like myself, or for tourists looking to get a few photos, especially at the top of the castle. Currently the towers are closed due to covid-19 but most of the castle is still open. Right at the top are some spectacular views so well...