Despite its age The Grange remains one of the nicest places to sit in Lewes. The incredibly old Mulberry trees and Elizabethan mansion make a serene backdrop for a picnic with friends or just a place to relax after a day shopping in town. Although, with a strict sports ban the Grange isn’t great for a kickaround. However the Winterbourne stream runs through the Grange, which offers opportunities for the highly dangerous sport of ’river jumping’. The 5ft drop certainly puts off the most capable of jumpers! [Viva Lewes in no way condones such irresponsible behaviour - Ed]
Also there's a tea room serving tea, cake and ice creams for reasonable prices which can be taken and eaten on the lawns. The Grange opens at dawn and doesn’t close till 8:30 during the summer, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the sun whilst lying in daisy-covered lawns, not far away from anywhere. The Grange is a great place for relaxing and chatting with mates but not much else, Although free admission and tasty cake make up for the sports ban.
Southover Rd
Opening times: 8am-8:30pm (changes through the year)
Price: Free Tel: 01273 484999 Open since: 1572
Solly's rating: 6/10
Pells Pool
Summer's here! And with the nice weather comes a great opportunity to cool down in the historic Pells Pool. Opened in 1860, The Pells is officially the oldest freshwater outdoor pool in Britain. The grass area next to the pool makes for a great picnic spot, so you can really make a day of it. The Pells is renowned for being rather chilly at times, but that’s because it is spring fed from Mount Caburn. Your £2 (U16) ticket will last all day as a stamp system allows you to leave and come back. There's also a snack shop providing tea, coffee and ice creams, as well as other baked items and confectionary, so there’s no reason to leave unless you feel you should have your frostbite looked at. The Pells also have a number of large floats which can be used free of charge, and a ping-pong table and giant 4-in-a-row, which can be rented for a reasonable £1.80 an hour and a £5 deposit. Overall a really nice place to be and to swim: the friendly staff and luscious surroundings make a swim at the Pells one of my favourite things to do. Only thing is make sure you have a warm jumper for when you get out, because blimey it’s cold!
Brook St Opening times: 12-7pm
Under 16: £2
Happy Hour: £1 6-7pm
Swim saver: (10 swims) £16
01273 472334
www.pellspool.org.uk Open since: 1860
Solly's rating: 9/10
Skate Park
Opened on the 12th of August 2005, the skate park offers a great place for extreme sports enthusiasts to show off their skills on board or bike. Plus the football and basketball cage is good for 5-a-side tournaments, and flatland biking or skateboarding. The skate park was also fitted with a graffiti wall perfect for young people to show their artistic flair through graffiti. This wall also makes a great backdrop for skating the 8ft ramps. The Lottery-funded park has been created using cutting-edge materials for a smooth ride with minimum maintenance. The skate park is made up of two quarter ramps, a mini half-pipe, two fun boxes with a mini ramp and a grind rail. Bill Gandey, the skate park project manager, says “I am so thrilled that the hard work of the Skate Park Working Party, colleagues at the Council and everyone involved in this project has resulted in a brilliant skate park and ball games facility that can be enjoyed by youngsters of the district for years to come”. Overall the skate park is a great place for young people to hone their skating skills or just to watch some skating veterans pull some tricks. Or alternatively to play some football or basketball in the cage with or against your mates, all completely free.
Malling Recreational Ground
Opening times: Open all day everyday (not advisable to skate at night)
Price: Free
Tel: 01273 484141
Open since: 2005
Solly's rating: 7/10
Southdown Sports Club.
The Southdown Club is excellent for the more sporty amongst us. They provide facilities for five different sports including tennis, football, squash andhockey, and an expansive gym. Southdown have 16 courts with a variety of different surfaces, and a full-size Astroturf hockey pitch that can also be used for football. However, Southdown is a members-only club (though visitors can play as long as they are with a member and pay a visitor’s fee). Junior membership is £70 per year, working out at about £1.30 a week for unlimited tennis, hockey and squash. Southdown don’t rent out any equipment so all rackets and balls must be brought by the players. The clubhouse has modern showers and spacious changing facilities, along with a bar area serving soft drinks with a large plasma TV showing all the important football games: perfect after a long day on the court. All in all, Southdown provide fantastic courts and a nice clubhouse all at a reasonable price. So it's definitely worth spending a day there, providing you can find a member to play with, or you are willing to pay for the year.
Cockshut Road Opening times: 9am-11pm (reception closes at 6pm)
Price: (U16) £70 per year
Tel: 01273 474504 www.southdownsportsclub.co.uk Solly's rating: 8/10
YMCA
The YMCA have been working with young people since 1848. In Lewes today they are running many different activities including football, basketball and Tai Kwon-Do. The organisation are currently doing a lot of off-site work after the loss of access of their main hall to the Old Grammar, and are looking for people to take part in the activities they are running. These include: football tournaments, outdoor pursuits and days at the skate park. One of the biggest projects they are running is Lewes Youth Web Radio, launched in February 2008. It’s a web-based radio station run by young people for young people, showcasing Lewes’s musical talent and putting it straight online to share. Primarily broadcasting music and pre-recorded features, they are recruiting young DJs and performers across the district to record their own radio shows. YMCA manager Brad Levy says “ eventually we would like to see a portal space for young people to share music, video, creative writing and ideas.”
Not only the radio station but all of the clubs running need people to turn up, and a full list of these activities can be seen on their web-site.
Westgate Street
Opening times: See web site for details about clubs.
Cost: At the moment all free.
Tel: 01273 474599
www.lewesymca.co.uk Open since: 1848
