Lewes

Castle keep to Cliffe on a day across the Lewes hills

One day covers Lewes on foot. Climb the castle keep for the view over the Ouse gap, walk the High Street past Thomas Paine's lodging at Bull House, then follow the twittens to Anne of Cleves House and the Lewes Priory ruins. Finish in Cliffe at Harvey's brewery shop and the John Harvey Tavern.

Morning. Walk up from the station to Lewes Castle and climb the keep for the view across the Ouse gap; the museum at the gate covers the town's prehistoric and Norman past, and combined tickets include Anne of Cleves House. Drop down the High Street past Bull House, where Thomas Paine lodged before leaving for America.

Afternoon. Follow the twittens south to Southover. Anne of Cleves House on Southover High Street shows Tudor and later domestic life, and the flint ruins of Lewes Priory lie a few minutes away. Rest in Southover Grange Gardens, which open dawn to dusk and have a kiosk in summer.

Evening. Walk down School Hill and over the bridge into Cliffe, where Harvey's brewery stands beside the river. The brewery shop and the John Harvey Tavern are the places to try the beer. If you are staying on, take the 20-minute train to Brighton for later bars, or head back to London in a little over an hour.

Harvey's ale, farmers' markets and pub suppers in Cliffe

Eating in Lewes means pubs and small restaurants, with Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter, brewed in the town since the 18th century, poured almost everywhere. The Snowdrop Inn and the Elephant and Castle are the pub-food choices, Pailin near the station serves Thai, and farmers' markets off the High Street sell Sussex lamb and cheese.

Harvey's brewery shop on Cliffe High Street sells bottles to take away.

For pub food with a little more ambition, the Snowdrop Inn on South Street at the bottom of town is a long-standing choice, and the Elephant and Castle on White Hill has a much-ordered house burger. Pailin on Station Street is a well-liked Thai restaurant near the station.

Lewes was a pioneer of the farmers' market, and regular markets in the precinct off the High Street sell Sussex lamb, cheese, vegetables and bread; a French market also visits during the year. Late at night, the kebab shops on School Hill sell chips in pitta, a local habit after closing time. Opening times are short on Sundays and Mondays at smaller places, so book or check ahead.

Bonfire societies, Glyndebourne and walks to Rodmell

Lewes Bonfire on 5 November is the largest Guy Fawkes celebration in Britain, with bonfire societies parading flaming torches and tar barrels; the town asks visitors to stay away. Summer suits most trips better, with July and August highs of 19C to 20C, the Glyndebourne opera season and walks along the Ouse to Rodmell.

Several bonfire societies, each with its own costume and route, parade through the town with flaming torches and blazing tar barrels, remembering both the Gunpowder Plot and seventeen Protestant martyrs burned in the town in the 1550s. See the site's page on Guy Fawkes Day for the wider tradition. Roads close, trains fill, and the town actively asks visitors to stay away; fire sites are ticket-only.

Summer is the gentler season. The long-term averages give Lewes highs of 15C in May, 19C to 20C in July and August and still 18C in September, with lows staying above 10C from May to October. Glyndebourne, an opera house on a country estate a few miles east, holds its festival season through the summer, with long dinner intervals for picnics on the lawns.

For a day on foot, follow the Ouse south to Rodmell to visit Monk's House, Virginia and Leonard Woolf's cottage, now run by the National Trust. Brighton is close enough for an afternoon, and travellers heading west can continue to Bath.