Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Hello, We moved to Lewes about 18 months ago. We like it a lot, have settled in well and met lots of people. We live in the South Malling area and my daughter will start at S Malling primary in Sept. The schools are all good as far as I know. Feel free to PM me with any questions or can meet for a coffee if you are coming down to do a recce at any point!
There are some lovely villages around but I haven't explored them much yet. Ringmer and Cooksbridge are the closest and you would definitely get more house/garden for your money there. They don't have much in the way of shops/services though so you would need to be happy driving into Lewes for everything.
What about Newhaven? Inlaws live in southease which is very pretty half way in between lewes and newhaven, sister in laws children go to a good school in kingston that they are happy with but think the secondary school plan is lewes based where they live.

(Mathilda's other half on this reply)


Fairly understandably, I would echo (amplify even!) the positive things Mathilda has to say on here


We moved in Jan 2014, and I still commute back to London (most days anyway). As with being a reluctant dad, so I was a reluctant London exile. London was in my blood and for us there was none of this "leaving London would be good.. y'know.. for the kids"


We moved because we simply had to - and we spent 6 months looking at places in and outside London we could afford. And the truth is there aren't many places outside London we would want to move to but Lewes is unique (so much so it wasn't on our initial shortlist. I thought it might be "too good" to consider)


The combination of Lewes life, Downs countryside and Brighton on doorstep is hard to beat - I can't imagine going back now. Have a listen to "Love Lewes" podcasts to get an idea of what happens culturally in the town as well.. but for me the Union Music store (free gigs every Saturday afternoon), the pubs, the local football team, live music, a great library, Pells Pool (oldest Lido in country), easy access to the Downs for walking are just some of the things that make up everyday life


Even typical provincial achilles heels (eg can I get a good curry?) aren't a problem. Great curries and some of the best pizza in the country at the Hearth


There are some beautiful villages outside Lewes and in Sussex generally - but politically, to give you an idea of the cultural comparison.. "Lewes" constituency voted Conservative at last election - that constituency includes the following:


"Lewes District Council: Barcombe and Hamsey, Chailey and Wivelsfield, Ditchling and Westmeston, Kingston, Lewes Bridge, Lewes Castle, Lewes Priory, Newhaven Denton and Meeching, Newhaven Valley, Newick, Ouse Valley and Ringmer, Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington and St John (Without), Seaford Central, Seaford East, Seaford North, Seaford South, Seaford West. Wealden District Council: Alfriston, East Dean, Polegate North, Polegate South."


Basically (to generalise) the margins were such that Lewes town voted anti Conservative and the rest voted Conservative


this may or may not be to your inclination?


As for Neville - it's one of three largeish estates bordering the town centre (Landport, Malling, Neville). Landport would give you more house for money but isn't great. We know people in Neville and they love it but it is the one part of town that would necessitate a car maybe? It's just that bit further from centre.


Otherwise you are looking at centre of town which is lovely but houses are what, three times the price of the rest?


I travelled to Lewes on 3 seperate days to view various properties and would strongly recommend you do the same and not rely solely on Rightmove etc.


From everything you write it sounds like you've made the decision now just need to refine the location. Good luck!

Thank you Mathilda's other half!


Yes, that is pretty much us. House in ED too small now and no way we can afford to buy a bigger one round here. So rather than just move to another area of London we thought why not bite the bullet and do what we have always said we would do - and move out. We've lived in Brighton before anyway so do vaguely know the area - but all different when kids to think of as well!


Thanks for the positive message. Good to know it's worth the hassle in getting there!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...