Lewes Day Trip from London by Train

Looking for the best day trips from London by Train? Lewes in East Sussex is definitely a hidden gem and 1 of my favorite additions to my list of places to visit near London. It's under 1h from Clapham Junction and just over 1h from London Victoria- both direct trains! The birthplace of the American revolution, it's a definite must visit for people interested in American history. (Also great for antique lovers with all its independent shops!)

To make this guide to traveling around England by train more useful, I try to organize the destinations by the departing London train station, such as London Paddington and London Bridge train station. (So many articles just say "direct train trips from London" BUT if you live in Greenwich (for example), but the train departs from Paddingon, that adds almost an hour and 1 change to your journey!)

Out of all the train trips from London Victoria, Lewes is definitely 1 of my favourites due to its:

• beautiful surroundings and buildings
• walkable: most attractions are within easy walking distance of each other (but note the area is very hilly!)
• safety
• rich history
• communal feel and lively town centre
• independent shops (many selling antiques and vintage)- if you like makers, here's a director of the makers of East Sussex (themakersdirectory.co.uk)- there's also a shop near the train station (more on this below)

Note: There are frequent direct trains from Clapham Junction (55- 57 min) and London Victoria (1h 2 min- 1 h 8 min) to Lewes. (The direct train from London Bridge to Lewes runs very irregularly, or at inconvenient hours- i.e. after-work for commuters returning home.)

• 10-11am : Train ride from London to Lewes
• 11 am- 12 noon: Explore the High Street and Harveys' Brewery
• 12- 2/ 230 pm: Lunch at Dill. (See below for full review.) I've included 2+ Hours as the service was pretty slow even though we were the only table! Good food though.
• 2- 3: Anne of Cleves House. This closes earlier than the Castle, and there's a small discount if you visit both attractions, hence I suggest visiting the House before the Castle. However, if you're visiting in winter, just note that there's a lot of climbing of outdoor steps for the Castle, so you want to make sure it's bright enough! (In this case, you may want to do the castle BEFORE lunch and explore the High Street in the late afternoon.)
• 3-5 pm: Lewes Castle followed by Lewes Museum

Things To Do

The oldest independent brewery in Sussex dating back to 1790, you can join tours of Harvey's Brewery. It's right smack in the centre of town so you won't have to go far!

Lewes Castle is just a short walk from the High Street (partly uphill.)

Built by William de Warenne, a supporter of William the Conqueror, it's really more of a ruin now. You get amazing views of East Sussex from the top. It involves a lot of climbing of stairs- both outdoor and indoor ones- so the steps may be slippery if it's raining.

The climb to the top is steep at parts, particularly when climbing up the stairs to the tower. It is really narrow and tight so I shudder to think what it'll be like when the castle is crowded. (I'll link to a video so you can judge for yourself whether you can manage the climb. I have a fear of heights but I managed to climb the wooden steps. (I did pass on the 2nd tower though!)

There is not much information inside the Castle, and there's not a ton to see (besides the view), so the ticket did feel a tad pricey. (There's a small discount for seniors.)

The ticket does allow for entry into both the castle ruins and the Museum (which is housed in the same building as the Castle Shop (TINY) and Museum. The Museum has 2 storeys featuring historical artefacts and a short video about the history of the town. (It plays every 30 minutes. For me, the Museum wasn't interesting enough to buy a ticket for it alone (sans castle.))

Opening hours: 10 am- 5 pm

Alternatively, you can walk Tingle's Way, a self-guided trail with themed stories connecting Lewes to its natural surroundings. 

This house was given to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII- she was his 4th wife- as part of their divorce settlement but she never lived there. It's open from 10 am- 4 pm.

Travel Tip: There is a joint ticket with Lewes Castle, which gives you a small discount to this House Museum.

I'm a huge fan of English towns with lots of independent shops- Lewes is definitely a great example! You'll find lots of independent antique shops in the town centre, as well as several weekly markets.

Apparently, 1 of the nearby farms makes UK's best goat's cheese- they had a stall when we visited so I bought some to try!

Note: if you liked Mermaid Street in Rye, visit Keere Street, the Lewes’ equivalent which offers amazing views of South Downs. It's close to Anne Cleves House & Lewes Priory, so you can visit the 3 together.

Like Rochester in Kent, Lewes has a rich literary history.

Thomas Paine wrote The Rights of Man between 1768-1774 when he lived at Bull House in Lewes (just down the street from the Castle.) His writings influenced both the American and French Revolution, as well as the US Declaration of Independence.

He frequently spoke at The White Hart Evening Club, a political debating club which met at the 16th century inn, The White Hart. (Operating as a hotel and restaurant today and where this blue plaque was located!)

Virginia Woolf and her husband also lived in Monk House, a 17th-century cottage by the River Ouse in Lewes. (Monk House is operated by the National Trust and there's a fee to enter.)

A.A. Milne, who wrote Winnie the Pooh, is thought to have based the Hundred Acre Wood on Ashdown Forest which is 30 minutes away from Lewes.

The Priory of St. Pancras Lewes

Open all year round, the priory was founded in the 11 century by French monks from Cluny. Remarkably, ti survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537! Free entry.

A 160km long route linking Eastbourne to Winchester, this winding trail follows the chalk escarpment, ridges and old routes of the South Downs. Note that it's shared with cyclists and horse riders.

We had lunch at Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurant, Dill, and drinks at a Korean cafe. (The latter is located opposite Lewes Castle.)

The food at Dill was delicious but I was a little surprised by its Bib Gourmand as it wasn't really what I'd think of as affordable for outside of London (over £40 per person for lunch, no drinks.)

I liked the quirky decor, and selection of books by the tables.

Service was efficient but not the fastest nor super warm- the menu is written on a black board and, to be honest, quite hard to read. There's also not much detail about the dish. For example, I ordered the prawn starter and was surprised when it was a raw dish. (We were the only table and the meal still took us almost 2 hours.)

Cost: £82.14 for lunch for 2 and 1 cup of tea -> see what I mean about being surprised by the "Bib Gourmand"?

Where to Shop

1. The Sussex Guild- Located at Southover Grange, with the entry via Southover Grange Gardens (close to the train station), this shop and gallery sells a lot of handmade items. There's also a Gardens kiosk selling homemade cakes, sandwiches, and more from March to October.
2. Cheese Please- This shop at 46 High Street has a large selection of British and local cheeses, as well as everything you need to serve with it, such as chutney and crackers. It focuses on local products from small independent producers- my fave! (opposite the Tourist Information.)
3. Polish Pottery- I usually prefer to buy (historically) local things on my travels but it's so rare to see a Polish Pottery in UK not to give a shout out to it! (Diagonally across the street from the Bull House.)
4. The Needlemakers- offer vintage, jewelry, books, art, and even workshops!
5. Antique and vintage shops- dotted all along the High Street

Tips

1. If you're a foodie, try to visit on a Friday- there's a weekly Lewes Friday Food Market from 9 am to 1 pm at the Market Tower (close to Star Brewery Gallery), which focuses on local, seasonal foods.
2. If you're like Mom and like to be at the train station absurdly early- we're usually there 20 to 30 minutes before our train!- there is thankfully a nice place to sit near the Lewes railway station- Lewes Depot! (It's a cinema meets restaurant.)
3. Tourist Office is opposite Cheese Please

It's an easy train ride to Lewes from:

• London Victoria (direct train, around an hour)
• London Bridge (mostly 1 change, occasional direct trains)

There are lifts to the platforms in the cute station as well as a station cafe.

To get to the town centre from the station, walk straight out- the walk will be UPHILL.

Note: If, like me, you are slightly paranoid about missing your train and like to be in the vicinity of the train station absurdly early, these 2 nearby attractions may be of interest to you:

• there is a cinema opposite the train station 
• Around 6 minutes walk from the train station is Southover Grange Gardens.  It is a very peaceful park with well maintained grounds. You can also find the Sussex Guild shop (opened by Sussex designer-markers) there.

Any questions about visiting Lewes in East Sussex from London? Let me know in the comments!