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Delve into our heritage and landscape with Walk This Way, Visit Lewes' festival of themed guided walks led by local experts.
The festival takes place across the district over two consecutive weekends, 7/8 and 14/15 September.
With plenty of walks programmed, there's something for everyone to enjoy - from trees and topography to pubs and poetry. Choose from coastal, town and countryside walks, enjoy the benefits to body and soul, and learn more about our heritage and culture along the way.
All walks are listed below, with links to more detail and tickets - just £5 for adults and free to under 12s. Numbers are limited so book early to secure your place. If you'd like help to book, call into Lewes or Seaford Information Centres where the staff will be pleased to assist. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Easy Accessible - walks for all, including people with conventional wheelchairs and pushchairs on easy access paths. Any comfortable shoes or trainers can be worn. Assistance may be needed to push wheelchairs on some sections.
Easy - walks for those who do not have a mobility difficulty, a specific health problem or are very unfit. Suitable for pushchairs if they can be lifted over occasional obstructions. Comfortable shoes or trainers can be worn.
Leisurely - walks for reasonably fit people with some walking experience. May include unsurfaced rural paths. Walking boots and warm, waterproof clothing are recommended but not essential.
Moderate - walks for those with country walking experience and a good level of fitness. May include some steep paths and open country, and may be at a brisk pace. Walking boots and warm, waterproof clothing are essential.
With Debby Matthews
It is said that there have been 70 pubs and inns in Lewes at some time or another. This walk will introduce the locations of sixteen that can now be described as “lost”, just around the centre of Lewes town. Drawing on the books of LS Davey and David and Lynda Russell, Debby’s walk features a wealth of stories of how people lived and socialised in Lewes in the past.
Information and tickets:
Sunday 8th September, 10.00am - 12.00pm
Sunday 8th September, 1.30 - 3.30pm
With Katy Beinart & Mia Taylor
This performative walk along the Ouse river will explore the story of salt in the local landscape. Bringing together historical research and speculative fiction, artists Katy Beinart and Mia Taylor will introduce short imaginary pieces at points along the walk to which walk participants are invited to respond, and to think about the landscape at points far in the past and future.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 1.30 - 3.30pm
With Lewes Town Councillors
Expect surprises around every corner as we rediscover the last fifty years of Lewes history, and celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Lewes Town Council. The walk will be led by serving councillors and will end with refreshments at the Town Hall and a chance to visit the cellar, once used as an emergency bunker during the Cold War era. Walkers are invited to wear or bring an item from the last fifty years.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 2.00 - 4.00pm
Saturday 14th September, 2.00 - 4.00pm
With Anthony Peters
A walk encompassing all of the recently installed pieces of public art in Newhaven, led by one of the organisers of the project.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 1.00 - 2.30pm
Saturday 14th September, 1.00 - 2.30pm
With Jonathan Vernon
Jonathan has spent many months assessing trees across Lewes as part of the Woodland Trust’s ‘Lost Woods’ project. These have now been verified as ‘notable’ or ‘veteran’. We will stop to look at five or six different ‘veteran’ trees such as white willow, elder, common lime, hornbeam, crack willow, field maples, ash and sycamore, as well as the many ‘notable’ trees, including ash, beech, sycamore, horse chestnut and holly. Bring a camera or sketching materials if you'd like to take pictures or draw trees. This walk focusses on the trees in Lewes town.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 2.00 - 4.00pm
Saturday 14th September, 2.00 - 4.00pm
With Jonathan Vernon
Jonathan has spent many months assessing trees across Lewes as part of the Woodland Trust’s ‘Lost Woods’ project. These have now been verified as ‘notable’ or ‘veteran’. We will stop to look at five or six different ‘veteran’ trees such as white willow, elder, common lime, hornbeam, crack willow, field maples, ash and sycamore, as well as the many ‘notable’ trees, including ash, beech, sycamore, horse chestnut and holly. Bring a camera or sketching materials if you'd like to take pictures or draw trees. This walk focusses on trees in the countryside towards Offham.
Information and tickets:
Sunday 8th September, 11.00am - 1.00pm
Sunday 15th September, 11.00am - 1.00pm
With Chris Joslin
This circular walk explores the rich heritage of the East Side of Newhaven. Walkers will learn how East Side locals lived and worked, conveying a sense of place and the people within it from times gone by. We'll share stories of working, recreational and educational life with an emphasis upon the importance of community from “Eastsiders”.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 14th September, 10.00am - 12.00pm
Please note the date of this walk is shown incorrectly in the printed programme as 7th September. The walk takes place on 14th September. Apologies for any confusion.
With John Worth
John is an artist photographer and during these early morning walks, when hopefully there will be some atmospheric mists for a glorious photographic walk, he will share his considerable experience of seeing and experiencing this landscape and will guide you with photographic tips and techniques. Please bring a well charged phone camera or a digital camera, and a water bottle.
Saturday 7th September, 7.00 - 10.00am
Saturday 14th September, 7.00 - 10.00am
Sunday 15th September, 7.00 - 10.00am
With Mike Burr
The walk starts at Ditching Museum, with a talk about the parish’s history. We then walk round the village centre, stopping to describe some of its historical buildings and famous artists, and end back at the museum where folk can visit the current Raymond Briggs (ex -resident) exhibition.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 10.00 - 11.00am
Sunday 8th September, 10.00 - 11.00am
Saturday 14th September, 10.00 - 11.00am
Sunday 15th September, 10.00 - 11.00am
With John Freeman
The walk on the Downs above Lewes offers splendid views. John will explain how the 1264 battle between the Royalist forces of Henry III and the rebel barons led by Simon De Montfort led to parliamentary democracy. The walk includes the new QR code video trail.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 2.00 - 5.00pm
With Nigel French
A stroll around the beautiful, always-photogenic Lewes, camera in hand. We’ll take in the town’s most scenic views and points of interest with suggestions for how to best capture them through a lens. Afterwards, we’ll set up an optional photo-sharing group because we all see things differently — even when we see the same things.
Sunday 8th September, 10.00am - 12.00pm
With Ian Everest
Join Local Historian, Ian Everest, for a leisurely walk around the Newhaven Cemetery and hear about its history – how it came to be built and why the site was chosen. There will also be an opportunity to visit the chapel and the former mortuary building, as well as learning about some of the notable graves, the casualties from two world wars - and tragic events which have impacted the area.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 10.30 - 11.45am
Sunday 8th September, 2.30 - 3.45pm
With Matthew Bird of Love Our Ouse
Join Love Our Ouse at Southease for a walk along the river to Lewes. Arrive by train and meet at the gate to the Egrets Way. Walking back, we will discuss the Ouse through time and space, touching on key heritage, cultural, industrial and biodiversity elements. The Lower Ouse has changed significantly and faces significant pressures today, we’ll reflect on this and ongoing efforts to redefine our relationship with the river.
Information and tickets:
Sunday 8th September,10.30am - 12.30am
Sunday 15th September, 10.30am - 12.30pm
With Helen Browning-Smith
Join Helen, co-creator of 2023’s Walk the Chalk event, to revisit the fascinating history, geology, flora and fauna of Seaford Head, Hope Gap and the Cuckmere Valley. The walk takes place on a site of breathtaking natural beauty and special scientific interest, all in view of the most iconic coastline in England - the magnificent Seven Sisters.
This circular walk is part of the national Heritage Open Days festival. The Coastguard Cottages and Cable Hut at Cuckmere are towards the end of the walk and will also be open for Heritage Open Days. See heritageopenddays.org.uk and friends-of-lewes.org.uk for more information.
Information and tickets:
Sunday 8th September, 2.30 - 4.00pm
Sunday 15th September, 2.30 - 4.00pm
With Dr. Cathryn Pearce
This walk will uncover hidden tales about Newhaven folk who lived and worked in the port between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, whose lives were dependent on the rhythm of the tide. We will chat about smugglers, sailors, murderers, privateers, fishermen, and lifeboat crews.
Information and tickets:
Saturday 7th September, 11.00am - 1.00pm
With Natasha Padbury of Love Our Ouse
Join Love our Ouse and Chalk and Stream creative writers on a special wander along the Winterbourne Stream’s route with poetry reading pauses along the way. All poetry is inspired by and written about this exceptionally rare ethereal chalk stream that weaves a watered song-line through Lewes.
Information and tickets:
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