Lewes Heritage Open Days

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This year's Heritage Open Days weekend in September is being marked with the launch of three free leaflets for self-guided walks around the town. These allow visitors to explore the historic, architectural and environmental aspects of Lewes at their own pace, and because they are self-guided, the walks can be taken at any time of year.

The three walks leaflets are:

Local architects walk This walk, through the Pells and the Wallands, takes in buildings by local architects from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Samuel Denman and Rowland Halls, together with more modern houses by practices such as John Schwerdt and BBM. The Lewes History Group has produced a book on the history of the Pells which will also be available from the Tourist Information Centre for £12.50, and for those interested in a more in-depth study of the town's history, the Group is well worth joining.

Town nature walk This is packed with information on the trees and flowers you can see as you walk around the town at any time of the year. The Friends of Lewes is organising a competition for Lewes families to design their own nature trails around their gardens or in surrounding streets. Details are on www.friends-of-lewes.org.uk, or you can pick up a flyer in the Tourist Information Centre or Town Hall. The closing date for entries is 31st October 2020.

High Street walk This stroll along the High Street between Cliffe Bridge and the bottle-neck to the west will let you admire the varied architecture and its historical associations, while enjoying some of the many independent shops along the route.

All three leaflets will be available from the end of August from the Tourist Information Centre and the Town Hall, and can also be downloaded from www.friends-of-lewes.org.uk/hod2020/. They were compiled by the Friends of Lewes, and sponsored by Adams & Remers, Gorringes auctioneers and Lewes District Council.

Next year, we hope to resume our traditional Heritage Open Days programme of local buildings opening up to the public for a weekend in September. Planning for this starts in February – seeking sponsorship, deciding which buildings to open and finding new ones, and recruiting volunteer stewards. Planning meetings are usually held monthly, and we are looking for volunteers to join the team. If you have an interest in the town's heritage together with experience of fund-raising and PR or IT and design skills, please get in touch with us by emailing leweshod@gmail.com.