Lewes Castle

"Among the many ancient fortresses of England which live in history by reason of that struggle between king and nobles out of which grew the liberty of more modern days Lewes Castle can claim a distinguished pre-eminence. For the battle-field on which its towers looked down on a May day of 1264 was the birthplace of that legislative assembly in which the commoners of the nation were at length summoned to become the associates of the prelates and peers in moulding the laws of the land. But by the date of that most notable conflict of the Barons' War the town of Lewes could already boast an ancient history. The neolithic and bronze implements, which have been unearthed from the tumuli and earthworks of the surrounding hills, afford convincing proof of the existence of a human settlement here long prior to the Roman conquest of Britain, while the numerous relics of the world conquerors, such as coins and pottery and rings and fibulae, which have been recovered from time to time, are sufficient evidence that this pleasant spot on a spur of the South Downs was once a Roman station." Extract from "Royal castles of England : comprising an account of those ancient fortresses ..." (Archive)

Lewes Castle is a Sussex Past property with free entry for members of the Sussex Archaeological Society.

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