Our trip to the UK was busy, but not frenetic. My daughter Liz, son-in-law Peter, and granddaughter Adeline and I had enjoyed our morning wandering through The Lanes in Brighton, but our ever-attentive host Hari wanted us to see the castle in Lewes (pronounced Lewis), so we hopped into his adorable hybrid Mini Cooper Countryman and headed out of town.

We arrived after a lovely drive through the English countryside past the Brighton Downs. Downs are open, rolling fields that have walking trails.

The 11th century Lewes Castle, built by the Normans after the Battle of Hastings, was closed, but we climbed up the lane to have a look at the land those Normans were protecting. It was a breathtaking vista.

Then I clambered down the steep cobblestone street, secretly thankful that I didn’t have to climb the hundreds of steps needed to reach the castle keep.

Back on the aptly named High Street were many delightful sights. We had parked by the White Hart Hotel which bore a plaque stating that “Thomas Paine here expounded his revolutionary politics. This Inn is regarded as a cradle of American independence which he helped to found with pen and sword.” Paine was born in the UK and came to the American colonies in 1774 with Ben Franklin’s assistance. I bet the Brits were glad to be rid of him…or were they? His pamphlet Common Sense was required reading in the colonies. At any rate, he started holding forth on freedom at the White Hart Inn in Lewes, and we’re glad he did.

Another famous English personage also made history, this time by having property in Lewes. This was Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of the much-married King Henry VIII. Henry commissioned a miniature of Anne from the famous Dutch artist Hans Holbein the Younger in 1539. Henry VIII saw the portrait—this was like the 16th century version of Match.com—and decided to marry her, since his third wife Jane Seymour had died from complications of childbirth. 

When he met Anne, however, he was quite disappointed and though he married her on January 6, 1540, he had the marriage annulled six months later.  Their parting was amicable, and she was thereafter called “The King’s Beloved Sister.” He gave her money and properties, including the house in Lewes, though she never lived there. She outlived Henry and died in 1557.

My favorite spot in Lewes was the Fifteenth Century Bookshop on High Street. In a warren of crowded rooms, thousands of collectable and second-hand books line the shelves and are piled high on tables. The shop specializes in children’s books, and author Enid Blyton’s titles have pride of place. I bought “The Mating Season”, a Jeeves and Wooster title by P.G. Wodehouse. Delightful!

Our host Hari had one final surprise for us: he wanted to show us a “twitten,” which is a narrow lane or alleyway. We found Church Twitten just off High Street. Our tour of Lewes was complete!