Category: Talks & Events

Lewes Tree Festival 2026

On Saturday 13th June the Lewes Tree Festival starts with a launch event from 11:00 to 15:00 at the Lewes Climate Hub with an exhibition from Lewes Urban Arboretum. Refreshments will be available.

The Lewes Urban Arboretum team has organised four guided walks in June to celebrate our trees and our status as an Arboretum Town – one of only two in the country! All the walks will be led by local arboriculturalists who are members of our Trees Committee. The walks are free but donations are always welcome to fund our tree-planting projects.

  • Tuesday 16th June, 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Railway Land Nature Reserve. No need to book – just meet us at the entrance to the Linklater Pavilion.

Change in Victorian and Edwardian Sussex 1840-1914 Study Day

Saturday 11th October 2025, 10am-5pm

Between 10am and 5pm at Kings Church, Brooks Road, Lewes BN7 2BY. Lewes is accessible on level land from the bus stops and Lewes railway station. Free Car parking available to delegates a short walk away. 

Organisers: Sussex Archaeology and History

An exploration of how much Sussex changed between 1940 and 1914. Aided by the railway, Sussex was transformed from a rural county into an urbanised one, dominated by the development of the seaside resorts to which many rural workers moved. The Weald of Sussex became an important centre for small leisure estates, some famous for their plants. The resorts undermined the role of the county towns, which grew very slowly.

09.15-10am REGISTRATION, time to browse the bookstalls

10.00 Welcome by David Rudling 

10.05 The establishment and impact of the railway – setting the scene.

John Minnis

10.50 “ A man may have constant employ”: The changing industrial landscapes of Sussex

Geoffrey Mead

11.35 COFFEE BREAK, bookstalls

11.55  Resort development at the Sussex seaside

Kathryn Ferry

12.40  Riot and Respectability in a seaside town

Chris Hare

1.25   LUNCH BREAK

2.15   Still a Remote Backwater – the slow development of Chichester

 Alan H J Green

3.00 Complementary or competitive? Agricultural progress and the search for a rural idyll in Sussex 1840-1914

Brian Short

3.45 TEA BREAK, bookstalls

4.05 The railways, rural recession, and the Country House – Wealden new builds and Downland decline.

Sue Berry

4.50- 5pm Conclusion and Finish

£28 Full Price, £25 Concessions (subscribers and students), £18 online.

TO BOOK on Eventbrite:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1260935565219

Price includes teas and coffees and a copy of the handbook for those who attend on the day, but not food.  There is a Tesco and Costa nearby and Lewes coffee shops in nearby Cliffe.

Looking forward to Heritage Open Days 2025

Wed 20th August 2025 at 7.30 pm / Town Hall Lecture Room (entrance in Fisher Street) plus ZOOM ONLINE.

A preview of the programme by Marcus Taylor for the 2025 Heritage Open Days weekend in Lewes (12th -14th Sept 2025).  Find out which properties are opening their doors in 2025 and why you might choose to visit them.

This year’s focus for the Heritage Open Days (12th – 14th Sept 2025) is ‘Architecture’ and offers free access to eighteen historic Lewes buildings plus five guided walks.  Advance booking, where required, opens on Thursday 21st August 2025 at 9am.

Heritage Open Days celebrate England’s architecture and culture by offering free access to properties that are usually closed to the public, or charge for admission.

The Friends of Lewes has played a key part in ensuring the success of the Heritage Open Days event, taking on the lead role from 2011 onward.

In recent years, many historic Lewes buildings and outdoor sites have been featured, several providing guided tours. Some of these venues are highlighted on our Lewes Buildings of Note page. The Friends of Lewes leaflets describing the 2025 venues, will be available from the Lewes Tourist Information Centre in the Precinct, the Town Hall, Lewes Library, and other outlets. Our open venues are also on the National Heritage Open Days website

This talk is free to members of the Friends of Lewes. Members will receive an email with a Zoom link in case you are unable to attend in person but want to attend via a Zoom session.

Non-members £4 on the door or from Ticket Source  which will then provide a link for this Zoom talk.

Please click on the Zoom link to attend the talk 5 minutes before it starts.

We would recommend a computer screen or an iPad as a minimum screen-size for viewing our Zoom talks.

Our presenter will be speaking live, and you can ask questions by typing in the Chat box in Zoom.

Direct booking link >>>> https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/t-lnykjvg

Ticket Source event QR Code

Book now

Energy Efficiency and Retrofitting Listed Buildings and Older Buildings in Protected Settings – Alex Moojen – Talk follow up

As a follow up, the links contained in the presentation are below. Alex’s has also made available an an additional S.D.N.P Design Guide.

SD Design Guide 2022_23-web-legibleDownload
nergy Efficiency and Retrofitting Listed Buildings and Older Buildings in Protected Settings Presentation LinksDownload

Swift-Friendly Town Season (Apr-May 2025)

From 23rd April 2025 to 31st May 2025 we will be celebrating the return of our Swifts through a season of events at Lewes Climate Hub, Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes.  All events are free of charge and no booking is required. Our aims are to raise awareness of Swifts and encourage further small actions that will help to boost biodiversity – and help Swifts and other wildlife to flourish! 

Throughout the season at the Hub there will be displays to explain what makes a Swift-friendly town and posters to show the contributions from groups and organisations that have given their support – and an activity so that you may share your contributions to helping our Swifts.

We are launching this season with a “pavement parade” from the Linklater Pavilion at the Railway Land to Lewes Climate Hub. We are inviting you to join us on the parade, perhaps carrying a placard to send a clear message to passers-by. Some suggested images for placards and instructions for making a simple flying Swift along with a poster of the events are below – and we’d love to see your own designs!

Saturday 26th April 
The Mayor of Lewes has agreed to lead a pavement procession to welcome back our Swifts. We will be starting at 10.30 a.m. at the LInklater Pavilion on the Railway Land and finishing at Lewes Climate Hub, 32 High Street. It would be wonderful if Friends of Lewes members could join in with logos or other placards of your choice.
At 1.30 p.m. Paul Stevens will give his talk: “A Summer with Swifts, Swallows and Martins”. 
Saturday 3rd May 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
As you know, one of the challenges to Swifts is the fall in the population of the insects and airborne invertebrates that they feed upon. Ponds are great for Insects, invertebrates and other wildlife”! 
At 1.30 p.m. Pete Birchall, (Pete the Pond), will talk about “The importance of ponds for wildlife”Inviati
Saturday 10th May 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
We are proud of being partners in the Lewes Mosaic Project with the Railway Land Wildlife Trust, Wildflower Lewes, Lewes Urban Arboretum, and Common Cause. Helen Meade, (Railway Land CEO), will share information about how you may add to Lewes Mosaic – which is an exact match for our Swift-friendly town!
Saturday 17th May 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Dylan Walker from Wilder Life will be presenting the Peoples’ Park for Nature idea of a wider connected mosaic of habitats for nature and people to enjoy..
Saturday 24th May  11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Lewes Urban Arboretum will share ideas for increasing biodiversity by adding small trees or hedges to our gardens. 
1.30 p.m. Talk by Emily Thrift – “Protecting our Hedgehogs: understanding the impact of plastic”
Saturday 31st May 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Buglife research suggests that the population of insects and invertebrates has fallen by 79% since 2004. Since parent Swifts need an estimated 20,000 insects a day when they are feeding chicks, this has the potential to be a huge factor in their decline. We are very pleased to be able to welcome an expert from Buglife to our season! 
1.30 p.m. Talk by Alice Parfitt of Buglife: “Why bugs matter”. 

https://e-voice.org.uk/lewesswiftsupporters/lewes-a-swift-friendly-town/

SWIFT-FRIENDLY TOWN EVENTS posterDownload
Flying Swift instructionsDownload

Tree Festival Week – 15th to 22nd June 2025

The Trees Committee of Friends of Lewes are organising guided tree walks during Tree Festival Week, 15th to 22nd June.

Southover Grange Gardens
Sunday 15th June  2.30 – 4.00 p.m.
Explore the gardens native and exotic trees including a venerable Mulberry and a magnificent Tulip tree.
Meet next to the café hatch in Southover Grange Gardens, Southover Road, BN7 1TL Book via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/southover-grange-gardens-guided-tree-walk-tickets-1255969190659?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=email&utm_medium=sparkpost&utm_campaign=postpublish

Railway Land Nature Reserve

Tuesday 17th June 11.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
Join us for a Nature Wander around this urban wildlife haven.
Meet at the Linklater Pavilion in the Lewes Railway Land Nature Reserve, Railway Lane, BN7 2FG
Free – no need to book.
Nature Wanders take place every Tuesday 11.00 – 12.30
Just turn up!

Southover Grange Gardens
Sunday 22nd June  2.30 – 4.00 p.m.
Explore the gardens native and exotic trees including a venerable Mulberry and a magnificent Tulip tree.
Meet next to the café hatch in Southover Grange Gardens, Southover Road, BN7 1TL

Book via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/southover-grange-gardens-guided-tree-walk-tickets-1256013884339?aff=oddtdtcreator

Lewes Flood Exhibition – Call for exhibits

Do you have photographs or memorabilia of the Lewes Floods? Did you write a poem or paint any pictures? This October is the 25th Anniversary of the 2000 Lewes Floods when over 600 homes and 300 businesses were devastated, as following days of very heavy rain the river Ouse burst its banks and flooded large areas of Lewes.

The Friends of Lewes are organising an exhibition of flood memories and experiences, and we would like to hear from people who can loan photographs/ memorabilia etc. We would also like to audio record people’s memories of the time, and reflections 25 years on.

We are particularly interested to hear from any children or families who slept in the Town Hall or Malling Community Centre, and hear their memories and reflections 25 years on.

Harvey’s Brewery Yard 3pm 12th Oct 2000

Winterbourne Festival 1st – 9th March 2025

Instagram / Facebook / Love our Ouse Website

Sponsored by The Friends of Lewes

Community initiative Love our Ouse and local partners have been awarded funds to deliver a festival on the 1st to the 9th March dedicated to the Winterbourne Stream that flows through Lewes

Read the press release here:

Winterbourne Festival Programme releaseDownload

Energy Efficiency and Retrofitting Listed Buildings and Older Buildings in Protected Settings. Zoom talk on Tuesday 18th February 2025 at 7.30pm – Alex Moojen

The presentation will address some of the primary issues and questions associated with retrofitting or upgrading listed buildings and older buildings sited in protected settings such as conservation areas:

What can owners do without listed building consent and/ or planning permission?

What are some of the acceptable materials and methodologies?

What permissions might be required?

Where to seek advice?

These are a just a few of the questions that often arise and that can sometimes overwhelm and create confusion with those seeking answers and guidance.

This is an extensive and sometimes complex issue, so the presentation aims to cover some of the more salient points within this topic, and address the more frequent enquiries that are received by the Local Planning Authority. The presentation will be around 30 mins with Q and As welcome afterwards.

Alex has been in post as Conservation Officer for Lewes and the surrounding area for over 2 years since graduating in 2022 from Kent Uni with an MSc in Architectural Conservation. He has relished his first job in conservation in Lewes. The diverse and extensive architectural landscape and the protected Lewes Conservation Area have given him the opportunity to work with a varied and wide array of buildings and applications – all of which have involved him in the challenges of improving energy efficiency and retrofitting older and historic building, both listed and not listed. 

Friends of Lewes Members free, Non members £4 (Via Ticket Source)