Lewes Castle & Barbican House Museum

Welcome to Lewes Castle, a fortress that has dominated the skyline of this town for nearly a thousand years. As you stand before its imposing gates, you are looking at one of the most unusual examples of Norman military…

Before we ascend the castle mounds, we enter the Barbican House Museum, located just across the lane from the main gate. This beautiful 16th-century building once served as a residence and now houses a fascinating collection of…

Returning to the exterior, we stand before the great 14th-century Barbican and Gatehouse. This was the primary entrance to the castle and its first line of defense. …

To our right as we enter the bailey is Brack Mount, the older of the two artificial mounds. This is where William de Warenne first established his Motte and Bailey castle shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066. …

We now move to the second and more prominent mound, which is topped by the stone Shell Keep. This part of the castle dates primarily from the 12th and 13th centuries, marking the transition from wooden fortifications to permanent…

To reach the top of the keep, we must navigate the medieval spiral staircase. This is a visceral sensory experience; the stairs are narrow, uneven, and winding, requiring careful focus and a bit of physical effort. …

We have reached the highest point of Lewes Castle—the battlements. From here, you are treated to a breathtaking 360-degree panorama that stretches from the terracotta rooftops of the town to the winding River Ouse and out across…

As we descend back toward the town level, we encounter a surprising and much later addition to the castle grounds: the Russian Cannon. This heavy iron gun is a trophy from the Crimean War, specifically the Siege of Sebastopol in…

Our journey through Lewes Castle and the Barbican House Museum has taken us from the prehistoric foundations of Sussex to the heights of Norman power and into the Victorian era. We have seen how a single site can embody the…