Lewes owes its existence to its location on the navigable and tidal Ouse. Before the arrival of the railways, and especially given the state of the roads across the Weald, the only practicable way to move heavy goods to and from Sussex was by boat. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution the need for such transport greatly increased. The 18th century especially saw huge developments in water transport, with new canals and navigations across the country connecting mines and factories with their markets. In his talk Nick Kelly will relate the Ouse Navigations upstream and downstream of Lewes in this period to other contemporary Sussex endeavours to improve the capacity and convenience of the transport of goods. 

LHG Members can attend our talks for free.

Non-members can buy a ticket (£4) from TicketSource.co.uk/lhg

See the Talks page for a list of forthcoming monthly events organised by Lewes History Group.