AS NATIONAL RAIL WOULD SAY……..
We are sorry for the late arrival of this month’s newsletter. This was caused by a hard disk failure on the Travel Log computer. Nearly now completely sorted, but a little stressful.
REDUCED BUS FARES ROUND TOWN
From now until 31st January any single fare on the 127 and 128 buses around town will be £1 for adults and 50p for children. This is an offer by Compass Travel. It does not apply to other Compass bus services or services by other companies.
For more journeys round town on any bus, you can buy the Lewes Day Ticket: £4.60, or weekly Ticket: £18.50 if bought on a Compass bus. Other companies may have slightly different charges. There are no child fares. You buy the ticket on your first bus.
CUCKMERE BUS CHANGES
There are revised times on a number of Cuckmere Bus routes. Changes affecting Lewes are:
21 new times. Sunday service to Chailey and Sheffield Park
23 new times and no longer serves Valley Road in Newhaven. Sunday service to Newhaven
25 finishes earlier for the winter period. 3 days a week service to Alfriston, Polegate and Eastbourne
25X new times. Service to Berwick
There is no change to the 39 arts bus to Eastbourne other than that the last bus back to Eastbourne only goes as far as Littlington unless someone on the bus wants to go further.
Timetables and details of Christmas services here
LET’S IMPROVE CYCLING IN LEWES
What can the community do to improve cycle routes in and around Lewes? That’s one of the issues we will be exploring at the Connecting Lewes Community Forum, Thursday. Nov 19, 7pm in the Town Hall Council Chambers
As you know, Lewes isn’t always an easy place to cycle. Our hills, narrow streets, busy roads and the Ouse all create challenges. There are cycling routes east, west and south of Lewes, but each has its problems, while the best connections through the town and to the north are still unresolved. The National Cycle Network currently stops at the edges of Lewes. There are several possible ways forward — but which improvements should we pursue, and in what order?
At this community forum we will:
LEARN: How cycle routes actually happen — including rights of way, land ownership, planning, funding and the National Cycle Network and what makes a cycle route safe, useful and attractive
DISCUSS: The opportunities and problems with the different routes and connections around Lewes. The Perfect vs. The Pragmatic
PRIORITISE : Identify the routes and opportunities where we believe effort should be concentrated.
ACT : Help set up working groups to start taking action.
Helping us will be experts from the South Downs National Park, central government, CCWT (ex Sustrans) and hopefully East Sussex.
Organised by Cycle Lewes
for the Lewes community.
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST GATWICK AIRPORT EXPANSION
The campaign has launched a number of online events:
Tuesday 10th November at 7pm
Smarter Travel and the Public Interest
Join Denise Auclair, Head of the Travel Smart Campaign at T&E Belgium, for a European perspective on balancing airport operations with the public interest.
Book Here – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/time-is-ticking-online-talks-tickets-2003651257849?aff=oddtdtcreator
Wednesday 11th November at 7pm
Back to the Facts: Climate Crisis
Greenpeace speaker Tim Bartmann cuts through the noise and returns to the essential facts about the climate crisis.
Book Here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/time-is-ticking-oneline-talks-2-tickets-2003652811496?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thursday 12th November at 7pm
Climate Action, Law and Laughter
Hear from writer, editor and climate campaigner Sarah Finch, named among the TIME 100 most influential climate leaders in 2024 and awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for Europe in 2026. She brought the Weald Action Group legal case that forced the UK government to confront downstream Scope 3 emissions from offshore fossil-fuel projects.
With Clare Townley, a climate systems communicator and eco-poet who uses humour, poetry and lived experience to make complex climate issues accessible, memorable and difficult to ignore. Author of Errors & Emissions, Volume 1: Flights of Fancy, which brings a sharp and humorous perspective to human misunderstandings of climate change.
Book Here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2003652517617?aff=oddtdtcreator
Tuesday 17th November at 7pm
Greener School Trips with Flight Free
Anna Hughes of Flight Free UK explores how schools can choose carbon-neutral travel for trips and use a dedicated scheme to earn credits along the way.
Sussex, Surrey and Kent schools are being encouraged to join Flight Free Schools, a free initiative helping schools reduce carbon emissions from educational trips by replacing air travel with lower-carbon alternatives.
Book Here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/time-is-ticking-online-talks-4-tickets-2003653078294?aff=oddtdtcreator
Wednesday 18th November at 7pm
Can Aviation Really Decarbonise?
Tim Johnson, Director of the Aviation Environment Federation, examines aviation’s struggle to decarbonise as pressures mount and the industry continues to pursue expansion.
LETS BE MORE SUSTAINABLE!
Promise not to fly here
And/or promise yourself to use at least two buses a month more than you did in 2025. Details of buses from Lewes here. Remember that there is a bus service to everywhere in East Sussex except Telscombe village.
HOLIDAY IDEAS
Here are some ideas for sustainable holidays.
THIS MONTH’S WALKS
For some autumn colour
Transports of Delight, Barcombe to Isfield
Old railways, closed and preserved, a bus route that needs preserving, an old canal, pubs, riverside walks, ice cream, boat rides, wild swimming, pastoral countryside. What else do you need? 6.5 km 4 miles
Chailey woods, commons and fields
A delightful circular walk featuring woods (bluebells in spring), commons and farmland based on the Chailey Link walk devised by local people. Slightly undulating. A number of stiles. 6.82miles / 10.97km
Forget Beachy Head and the South Downs, The High Weald is the best place for walking in Sussex.This walk, which is easy to get to from many parts of the south east, introduces you to the some joys of the High Weald and also to one of the threats to it. 6 miles, 10 km