CASTLE'S LOTTO BOOST

LEWES Castle and its adjoining Barbican House Museum has been awarded a whopping Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £985,000 to make the historic properties fit for 21st century visitors.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Jan 2007, 11:18 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 22:50 BST

Sussex Archaeological Society chief executive John Manley said: 'This represents the biggest investment in castle building in Lewes since the Norman Conquest.

'The Lottery money will allow us to upgrade many of our visitor facilities, and also make some of our displays more relevant to the town

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'As part of the upgrading the ever-popular Lewes Town Model will be re-vamped.'

The main elements of the plan are to replace all the steps, paths and railings in the castle, to completely re-interpret its history, and to build a shelter in the garden with information panels so that people who can't climb up the keep will gain an impression of what they would have seen and learned if they had.

There are also plans to refurbish the education centre, making it warmer and installing an accessible toilet, baby changing facilities, storage, a sink and a drop-down screen.

In Barbican House, the model of Victorian Lewes will get an overhaul with new seating, a digital projector and a new sound and light show.

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The museum hallway will be improved with a glass panel, which will enable people to see into the museum from the

High Street when the door is open during the day.

The upstairs Medieval Sussex Gallery will be given a new Lewes focus.

The Sussex Archaeological Society will have to do some serious fund-raising for at least 85,000.

The Lottery Grant awarded covers about 86 per cent of the funding.

More rebuilding work will be needed as the ancient flint wall holding up the Barbican Gate is leaning badly.