In December 2016, the Friends of Lewes Trees Committee planted nine new street trees around Lewes, aiming towards our vision of Lewes as a “town in the trees” or an urban arboretum.

The Committee members planted trees such as fruiting cherry, Liquidambar, Whitebeam, and Grey Alder in Middle Way, Valence Road, Abergavenny Road, and South Downs Road.

Read more on the Lewes Urban Arboretum Tree Planting page

Planting trees in Nevill, December 2016

 

 

 

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The Friends of Lewes recently planted four trees at the Malling Industrial Estate on Southdowns Road, as part of our Lewes Urban Arboretum project. We thank the landlords, Hallcourt Ltd, for their kind permission to do this.

We planted a Norway Maple, a Wild Cherry, a Swedish Whitebeam and an American Elm, variety Princeton.

We hope that over time these will mature and contribute to a row that will extend along the length of South Downs Rd as far as the planned new development on the corner with Mayhew Way.

We also planted an Oriental plane at Southover School, on the corner of Grange Rd and Southover High St.

Thank you to everyone who helped!

The Lewes Urban Arboretum webpage

 

 

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The group of artists that exhibits at the Hive during Artwave has this year offered to raise funds for FoL’s Lewes Urban Arboretum project. They will donate 10% percent of their first night’s takings, and will also be running a raffle with artworks as prizes.

The Hive is on the High St, next to the Post Office, and the artists in the group include Mark Greco, Keith Pettit, Adele Scantlebury, Rachel Bell, Steve Alton, Deryn Bell and Phoebe Sherwood-Moore.

The Hive exhibition is on Saturdays and Sundays from 23 August to 7 September, with an evening of exhibition previews on Friday 22 August from 5 to 9 pm.

 

 

 

 

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Find out how the Friends of Lewes will be collaborating with Plumpton Agricultural College on an iTree survey across Lewes this summer, which will collect information to form the basis for a town-wide management plan.

We will also be running a children’s poster competition based on “I think trees are important to Lewes because…….?”, and inviting all local primary schools to participate.

Go to the new Lewes Urban Arboretum page

Follow Lewes Urban Arboretum on Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The EU INTERREG programme has recently consulted on the effect that rising sea levels, coupled with spring tides, could have on Lewes and the lower Ouse valley.

The Society has welcomed the consultation as it seeks to address longer term issues and builds on planning policy documents and both coastal and river basin management plans.

Whilst the consultation notes that sea level rises are likely to be greater in the next 500 years than in the preceding 500 years, experts have suggested that in the next 50 years flooding in Lewes is more likely to arise from local factors than an increase in sea level. However it is clearly important that any new development on the flood plain should be resilient to any flood risk.

See Notes on Potential Sea Level Rise from Tom Crossett, adviser to the Friends of Lewes Executive Committee, November 2013.

 

 

List of Friends of Lewes Society responses to consultations

 

 

 

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As part of our Lewes Urban Arboretum project, we’re looking for pictures of the town that show now-absent trees. We’re hoping that these will help us in our plans and proposals for reinstatement and other planting to bring back the town’s tree cover, by serving as evidence of what was once in place.

Pictures of Landport would be particularly useful, but we’re interested in all parts of the town.

If you have such pictures and would be willing to share them, please contact us.

Some time ago the Friends of Lewes received a bequest to fund the planting of trees in Lewes. This encouraged the late Paul Millmore to conceive the idea of creating a Lewes urban, or town-wide, arboretum.

A South Downs National Park Authority grant helped to fund a tree survey, which has now been completed. The survey, and a map of the trees, can be seen on the Lewes Urban Arboretum Project page.

 

 

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Response of the Friends of Lewes Society to the ESCC Draft East Sussex Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, February 2013.

Download FoL response [pdf, 158kB]

 

List of Friends of Lewes Society responses to consultations

 

 

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Response of the Friends of Lewes Society to the Lewes District Council Draft Conservation Area Appraisal – Malling Deanery. September 2011.

Download FoL response [pdf, 245kB]

List of Friends of Lewes Society responses to consultations

 

 

 

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