Lewes Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Laewe; Laewas; Lewis

In the civil parish of Lewes.
In the historic county of Sussex (Modern Authority of East Sussex, 1974 county of East Sussex).

Remains of flint built castle, begun circa 1100, extended in the C12 and C14, recently modified. The castle is approached from the South by an early C14 barbican which is followed by the Early Norman gatehouse which contains herring-bone coursing. There is some contemporary walling to its right and left, also, and more substantial curtain walling East of the Castle Gate House. On the West mound stands a shell-keep, again early Norman though strengthened by two C13 turrets. The only other remains are some walling and a tunnel-vault North of the keep belonging to a house along the path West of Castle Banks and some chalk masonry of the other mound, called Brack Mount. Originally there was a second shell-keep here. Castle not much used after 1347.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 292991, 292992, 292996, 292997)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ414101

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 406713

• Web site links
  • http://www.sussexpast.co.uk/castle/castle.htm
    http://www.sussexpast.co.uk/research/BrackMount/BrackMount.htm
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/lewes%20castle.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/lewes/lewes.php
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_Lewes.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/198/lewescastle.htm
• Books
  • Jones, R., 2003, 'Hastings to Herstmonceux: the castles of Sussex' in Rudling, D. (ed) The archaeology of Sussex to AD2000 (Great Dunham: Heritage Marketing and Publications) p171-8
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Sussex (Malvern) p48-52
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p251-2 [plan]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p129, 184
    Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
    Guy, John, 1984, Castles in Sussex (Phillimore) p90-7
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p472
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p253-4
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Nairn, Ian and Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1965, The buildings of England: Sussex (Harmondsworth)
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p60
    Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1940, VCH Sussex Vol7 p19-24
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p165-6
    Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p50-1
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Clinch, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Sussex Vol1 p475
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p79-81
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p378-9
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p292
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol5 p168-71
• Journal Articles
  • Woodburn, Bill and Guy, Neil, 2005-6, 'Lewes' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol 19 p66-73
    2005, 'Lewes Castle - Brack Mount' Castle Studies Group Bulletin Vol18 p160-5
    Thomas, G., 2001, 'An archaeological discovery on Brack Mount, Lewes, East Sussex' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol139 p224-7
    Farrant, John H, 1996, ' 'A garden in a desert place and a palace among the ruins': Lewes castle transformed, 1600 - 1850' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol134 p169-178
    Drewett, Peter L., 1992, 'Excavations at Lewes Castle, East Sussex 1985 - 1988' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol130 p69-106
    Ruddling, D., 1992, 'The archaeology of Lewes: some recent research' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol130 p45-77
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106
    Drewett, Peter L,, 1988, ‘Excavations of the south-west motte 1985–88' Sussex Archaeological Society Newsletter 56 p3–6
    Farrant, John H, 1987, ‘A place among the ruins ...‘, Sussex Archaeological Society Newsletter 52 p12–13
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p309
    Drewett, Peter L, 1986, ‘Lewes Castle excavations' Sussex Archaeological Society Newsletter 50 p501–3
    Drewett, Peter L, 1985, ‘Lewes Castle excavations, 1985' Sussex Archaeological Society Newsletter 47 p452
    Rudling, David R, 1984, 'A Trial Excavation in Castle Ditch Lane, Lewes, East Sussex' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol122 p222
    Rudling, David R, 1984, ‘A trial excavation in Castle Ditch Lane, Lewes, East Sussex' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol122 p222
    Rudling, David R, 1983, ‘The Archaeology of Lewes: some recent research' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol121 p45–77
    Page, A.B., 1972, 'The Lip of the Brack Mount Ditch, Lewes' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol110
    1971, Medieval Archaeology Vol15 p148
    Holden, E.W., 1968-71, 'Lewes Castle' Sussex Notes and Queries Vol17 p184-88 [excavation report]
    Godfrey, W.H., 1966, 'Lewes Castle. Lewes' Sussex Archaeological Society 14
    Salzman, Louis F., 1961, Archaeological Journal Vol116 p260
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Godfrey, Walter H, 1929, 'The Barbican, Lewes Castle' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol70 p9-18
    Salzman, Louis F., 1923, 'The Castle of Lewes' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol64 p134-139
    Salzman, Louis F., 1922, 'The Castle of Lewes' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol63 p166-179
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol74 p235-6
    Sawyer, Frederick Ernest, 1887, ' Lewes Castle in Domesday Book (Ref SAC Vol34, p 59)' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol35 p191 p123
    Clark, George T., 1886, 'The Castle of Lewes' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol34 p57-68
    Clarke Jnr, Somers, 1886, 'Some Supplementary Notes on the Castle Of Lewes' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol34 p69-70
    Cooper, William Durrant, 1858, ' Lewes Castle the County Prison?' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol10 p213
• Guidebooks
  • Poole, H., 1997, Lewes Castle and Barbican House Guidebook (Lewes: Sussex Archaeological Society)
    Godfrey, W.H., 1928-77 [13 editions], Lewes Castle (Lewes: Sussex Archaeological Society)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#sussex12]