As part of the Lewes History Group’s Street Stories series about our town, this book by Mary Benjamin, Meg Griffiths and Shân Rose builds on earlier accounts of their research on the history of Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill leads steeply uphill from Cliffe Corner, passing above the Cuilfail Tunnel, towards Lewes Golf Club and the Downs beyond. The road will be familiar to the walkers, sledgers, joggers and golfers who use it today, as well as to its residents.
Chapel Hill almost certainly follows the line of a track used by early Britons to descend from their hilltop encampments down to the river. The track later became a droveway linking Lewes with Glynde and further east towards Pevensey. The road’s name has undergone many changes. Originally known as Cliffe Hill, it later became East Street, Cliffe, when Cliffe’s streets were named from its centre at Cliffe Corner.
This book will take you on a historical tour of the houses on Chapel Hill, introducing you to those who lived there. Find out about the Lambert family of artists, Thomas Baldy and his garden, and of course, the Chapel.
Published by the Lewes History Group, 10 September 2022. ISBN: 978-0-9956064-4-9
Available from the Lewes Tourist Information Centre at £7.50, or by mail-order.
Lewes History Group 