Not Morse

Near the entrance to Golf Club, the road teeters on the edge of the chalk cliff looking down over Lewes.

Hugging the banks of the River Ouse and dominating a gap in the South Downs, Lewes is the County Town of East Sussex, and it sits on the Greenwich Meridian. The town was the site of the Battle of Lewes in 1264. It is the location of several historic buildings, including Lewes Castle, the remains of Lewes Priory, and the so-called "Anne of Cleves House" (which was given to, but never lived in by, the divorced queen).

On 27 December 1836, an avalanche occurred in Lewes, the worst ever recorded in England. It was caused by a large build-up of snow on the nearby cliff slipping down onto a row of cottages called Boulder Row (now part of South Street). About fifteen people were buried, and eight of these died. A pub in South Street is named The Snowdrop in memory of the event. Don't you just love the sense of humour we British tend to show in adversity?


The Gorse Fox has visited Lewes Castle when exploring the town with the Silver Vixen. Though completely surrounded by a thousand years of urban growth, Lewes Castle stands at the highest point of Lewes and provides some wonderful views over the town.

The original fortification was a wooden keep, later converted to stone. It is unusual for a motte and bailey construction because it has two mottes. It was built in 1087 by William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, the brother-in-Law of William the Conqueror.


Looking across to the northern edge of Lewes you can see the River as it carves its route through the Weald, and the Downs rising again in the background. Gorse Fox was on that section of the Downs back in April