Arriving into Lewes I was very weary after walking 43km, my longest day on the whole of the South Downs Way. I was also very wet after being caught in the open by heavy rain only a short distance from the town. Rarely have I been as pleased to arrive at the place I’m staying for the night as in Lewes. A shower and change of clothes revived me, and as I headed out to take a look at this famous place, the sun came out.
Lewes is a small town with an outsized history. Most prominent of which is the man regarded as one of the “greatest political propagandists in history”, Thomas Paine. Bull House on Lewes High Street was Paine’s home between 1768-1774 when he was working for the Excise Office. The low wages, and the corruption that resulted from it, inspired Paine to write his first political pamphlet, The Case of the Officers of Excise.
Paine moved to Revolutionary America after meeting Benjamin Franklin in London, and his political writings, belief in republicanism and anti-monarchist ideas provided an intellectual rationale for the American Revolution. If that hadn’t alienated him enough from the British political class, defending the French Revolution and his perceived atheism did the rest. There are a couple of plaques to Paine in Lewes.
Bull House was closed and, as I stood reading the plaque on the side of the building, it started to rain again. I decided one drenching a day was enough and took refuge in the The Brewers Arms next door. The pub dates to the 16th century and I figured Paine had probably drunk in there at some point. As I drank a pint of Lewes-brewed Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, the sun came out again allowing me to have a stroll around town.
The following day the sun was shining in a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. I was looking forward to this day, mostly because I had a relatively short walk of 22km to reach West Firle. This provided the opportunity to sleep a little late and to have a look around Lewes. As well as Thomas Paine, Lewes has much history to explore. The ruins of the town’s 11th century castle weren’t open but it’s an impressive sight.
Lewes is a town of narrow streets and cobbled lanes, none more picturesque than Keere Street. Few are steeper either. I strolled down the hill to Southover Grange a 16th century mansion that was owned by the same family for three centuries. John Evelyn, the famous diarist, spent much of his childhood here. There are lovely gardens behind the house, which may account for the fact that Evelyn was also a renowned gardener.
I strolled from Southover Grange to Lewes Priory, or what remains of it. Founded in the 11th century, the priory once extended over a vast area and was one of the wealthiest monasteries in England. Much was destroyed after the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, and centuries later a new train line destroyed even more. It’s a shadow of its former self, but a pleasant place for a stroll.
The town’s link with Henry VIII goes deeper. Not far from the former priory sits a timber-framed medieval house dating from the 15th century. This was owned – but never lived in – by Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VIII. Anne was one of two of Henry’s six wives who were divorced but didn’t lose their heads. Henry and Anne actually became friends, she was referred to as “the King’s Beloved Sister”.
As I stood outside Anne’s house it was still closed. Rather than wait for it to open I got going on my walk to West Firle. The weather was hot – too hot for someone who had overindulged in The Lewes Arms the evening before – but I was soon walking towards Kingston and past the lovely wooden Ashcombe Mill. Built in 1828, the original mill was destroyed in 1916, this is a reconstruction. Ahead I could see the climb onto the Downs.
Once on the hill tops the views back towards Lewes were fantastic. Apart from some early dog walkers, I barely saw another soul for three hours. When I did finally meet some other people at the village of Southease, they were walking the South Downs Way and they were Belgian – from the area around Westmalle. We chatted for a while and they set off while I had lunch next to St Peter’s Church.
St Peter’s is a 12th century church and one of only three in Sussex to have a round tower. It was set in a pretty spot next to a thatched cottage. I crossed over the River Ouse and then over the railway at Southease station. What remained of the day was a long climb back up onto the top of the Downs before having to descend again into West Firle. Where I had booked another Shepherds Hut for the night.
It had been a short day but fortunately Firle has other distractions. The Burning Sky brewery is based here, and one of the best country pubs in the region, The Ram Inn, is found just at the entrance to the village. I had a beer then went to watch the village cricket team playing before returning to the pub for an excellent dinner. It was like being in the 1930s.
Daily Walking Stats:
Distance: 22km
Time: 4hrs 20mins
Beers consumed: 4 (plus a glass of local sparkling white wine with dinner)
