Lewes Castle Sussex Online Lewes Castle Lewes Castle was built by William de Warenne at the end of the eleventh century. William de Warenne was given land in Sussex, Surrey and Norfolk. He built three castles but his chief residence was at Lewes. Lewes Castle was built by William de Warenne soon after the Norman invasion.
Most experts say it was originally made of wood but others insist it was flint.
It was probably in the early 12th century that a sturdy stone castle was erected. The castle is run and maintained by Sussex Archeological Society. The ruins consist of part of a Norman keep, restored in the nineteenth century, and the impressive Barbican gateway built in the fourteenth and one of the largest of its kind in England. Lewes Castle is open all year, Monday to Saturday, 10.00 - 17.00.