Introduction to Lewes

Lewes is a historic town of 16,000 people in East Sussex, located 9 kilometres inland from the coast and only 12 kilometres north-west of Brighton. It is the largest town in the South Downs National Park, an area of prominent chalk ridges, hills and valleys. The town is strategically located at the point where the River Ouse cuts through the South Downs.

An important aspect of the character of Lewes arises from its topography and setting, as high chalk hills and cliffs circumscribe the town. The settlement had a significant connection to the River Ouse due to trading of many industries in history, from brewing to ironworks. The local economy nowadays is based on retail, small locally-important industries (brewing, creative arts, craftmanship, and high-tech businesses), as well as other services. It has a privileged location between major cities such as Brighton, Eastbourne and London, with direct rail connections to all three.

Due to the town’s convenient access to nearby services, the countryside and other cities by rail, Lewes has become a popular town for many, which has led to a rise of house demand and prices beyond local incomes. Furthermore, as population increases and existing industrial land is re-developed for housing, employment space falls short and become unaffordable and not fit for purpose.

Lewes has an important challenge ahead in delivering adequate and affordable places for living and working, as well as contributing positively to its community, also making its landscape and culture worthy of the designation as National Park.

The town has been historically known for being the capital of Sussex for a period, being an important market town in the middle ages, and more recently for having one of the most impressive Guy Fawkes Bonfire events in the country, which are rooted into Lewes’ culture and communities.

Today, Lewes is a town of rich and diverse architecture and materials, with a close relationship with its landscape. It forms part of the South Downs, constrained by its topography, its breath-taking views and its river. The town sits in an area occupying part of the flood plain and the hills on both sides of the river. Historically, the flood plain and the river were used for agriculture, for industrial and trading purposes, and it still remains as such in some regard, although industrial land is being lost to residential development. Homes would normally sit on higher ground level due to flood risk constraints but nowadays, demand for housing and flood defences engineering has led to housing in flood plains protected with barriers.