P-day in Lewes and more...

Last Friday we toured Lewes (pronounced Lewis) which isn’t far from Brighton. It has an old world charm and reminds me of the miniature villages people have on their mantels at Christmastime.

Lewes in relation to Brighton. The red dot is where we live and the blue dot is where the church is.

You can see Lewes lying like a box of toys under a great amphitheatre of chalk hills ... on the whole it is set down better than any town I have seen in England.
—William Morris (1834-1896)

"The Saxons built a castle, having first constructed its motte as a defensive point over the river; they gave the town its name.
After the Norman invasion, William the Conqueror gave Lewes to William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey. He built Lewes Castle on the Saxon site. In 1148 the town was granted a charter by King Stephen. The town became a port with docks along the Ouse River." (they pronounce it like ooze)

We had to check out the castle. This gate was built a little later, but it's still old.

The castle proper.

The Battles of Lewes in 1264!

Brewery on the river Ouse.

This was one heck of a flea market! Two stories and lots of rooms of all manner of stuff, old and new.

Back in Brighton we watched ice skaters at the Pavillion. Looks like fun!