Lewes History Group

A Lewes Archaeological Group talk

John Bleach: Malling, Lewes

Malling, on the northeast side of Lewes, has been known by this name for probably 1200 years and more. What names were given to the area by the earliest Anglo-Saxons, by the Romans, or by the prehistoric populations are not and almost certainly cannot be known. Suffice for the moment that Malling with its predecessors has a long and fascinating history.

This history, however, is often subsumed within the well-documented, much-studied, and oft-told story of Lewes, in which it generally enters the stage as a supporting bit-part player. John’s talk places Malling at centre stage, perhaps in a fleeting attempt to slightly redress the historical balance shared unequally with its (rightly) well-known neighbour.

We shall open with a modern suburb and close with a prehistoric ‘estate’. On our journey we will visit, amongst other ‘Mallings’, the archbishop of Canterbury’s huge medieval manor and the associated – and possibly quite early – Christian centre founded on the east bank of the River Ouse.

The talk will be free, but numbers are limited. Please click on the link below to register:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlcuygpjwuGtBylDqIRX4i4fdACXnAtaT-

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please don’t reply to this, but contact anne.locke@talktalk.net if you have any queries.

A Zoom Webinar

David Rudling: Romano-British Settlements in the Lower Ouse Valley

The Ouse valley in East Sussex is a key communication route from the Channel coast, via the Downs to the wide expanse of the Weald. It traverses and encompasses landscapes and archaeological sites of both local and regional importance – all connected by the river Ouse and its valley.

Dr David Rudling’s talk will review the archaeological fieldwork that has been undertaken in the valley to investigate and record Romano-British settlements and land-use. He will look at the emergence and fates of sites such as the native settlement at Bishopstone, the villas at Newhaven, Beddingham, Barcombe and Plumpton, and the nucleated settlement near Barcombe Mills. He will also consider the main Roman roads in the valley and the iron working sites north of Barcombe Mills.

Dr Rudling is one of the best known archaeologists currently working in Sussex, and a specialist in Romano-British settlement. He has led many Sussex excavations, including most recently, the Roman villa site at Plumpton. Formerly Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at University of Sussex, he is now the Academic Director of the Sussex School of Archaeology based at Selmeston. He is a co-editor of ‘The Archaeology of the Ouse Valley, Sussex, to AD 1500’.

Barcombe AD 250, © Andy Gammon

To join this talk, you need to
  1) register your intention in advance
  2) receive our confirmation email with a link to the talk
  3) click on that link to attend the talk 10 minutes before it starts

LHG Members can attend our talks for free. We will send members emails with a link to Zoom registration. Then please follow steps 1, 2, and 3 as above. 

Non-members can buy a ticket (£4) from TicketSource. The ticket will provide a link to Zoom registration. Then please follow steps 1, 2, and 3 as above. 

Please join the webinar at 7:20pm.

We would recommend a computer screen or an iPad as a minimum screen-size for viewing our webinars.

Our presenters will be speaking live, and you can ask questions by typing in the Q&A box in Zoom.

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

A Lewes Archaeological Group talk on Zoom

Debby Matthews: The Life and Times of Thomas Mantell: a true Lewes Maverick

Thomas Mantell, father to Gideon Mantell (discoverer of the iguanodon and other prehistoric creatures), exists very much in the shadow of his famous son.

The talk will aim to enlighten people about this key Lewes character living in Lewes during highly exciting political times the 1790s.

Debby Matthews is a graduate from Sussex University in History and owns the house in St Mary’s Lane (now Station Street) in Lewes which was owned by Thomas and where Gideon was born on 3 Feb 1790. This talk is one of a series she has arranged annually around the time of Gideon Mantell’s birthday.

For more information see her blog at https://gideonmantell.wordpress.com

The talk will be free, but is limited to 100 people. Please click on the link below to register:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtc-ygqzgoHNB-C1eEh_cTvcoQF2M4hhUA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please don’t reply to this, but contact anne.locke@talktalk.net if you have any queries.