Lewes Castle - Castlegate, Lewes, UK - Retired Prisons on Waymarking.com

The Castles Forts Battles website tells us about Lewes Castle and mentions its use as a prison:

Construction of the castle at Lewes commenced in 1067 on behalf of William de Warenne, Lord of Lewes. The castle was one of five designed to control the coast of Sussex; the area had been divided into five rapes each controlled by a castle. Initially a timber motte-and-bailey castle, the first mound was that known today as ‘Brack Mount’ and is situated close to the river. The second motte, slightly taller, was added less than 50 years later and the shell keeps on both mounds were rebuilt in stone around this time. The impressive Barbican was added in the early fourteenth century.

In 1264 the Battle of Lewes was fought in the vicinity of the castle. Henry III had mustered his forces at the Lewes Priory whilst his son, Prince Edward (later Edward I), was at the castle with the heavy cavalry. Edward deployed to attack Montfort's army without waiting for the King’s foot soldiers and successfully charged uphill breaking his left flank. Edward’s forces pursued and routed the fleeing troops but he had left his father in an impossible position. The remaining sections of Montfort's force had held and Henry III was forced to move his larger army uphill to attack them; the result was defeat for the Royalists, the capture of the King and the elevation of Montfort to effectively ruler of England. The castle, which had held out for the King even after the defeat, was then placed under Baron approved Keepers. It would take Edward's victory at the Battle of Evesham (1265) before Montfort was killed and Royal power restored both nationally and at the castle.

In 1347, after the male line of the de Warenne family died out, the castle passed to the Earls of Arundel. It was however a Sir Edward Dallingridge who was tasked with the defence of Sussex when the Hundred Years War turned against the English in the 1370s. He was only partially successful as Lewes was sacked by the French in 1377 causing some damage to the castle.

In June 1381 Lewes was officially used as a prison. Whilst short term detention had regularly taken place here throughout the Middle Ages, prisoners were normally transferred to Guildford for sentences longer than a few days. However the Peasants Revolt had filled that gaol and resulted in the Earl of Arundel being required to keep prisoners longer term at Lewes. The castle itself suffered at the hands of rioters however; the same year locals broke in and stole wine and stone from the fortification.

In 1397 the castle was seized by Richard II following the trial and execution of Richard FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel for his opposition to the King. However Richard didn’t last much longer; he was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) in 1399 and murdered at Pontefract Castle. Thomas FitzAlan was restored to his fathers titles and honours including the restoration of Lewes Castle.

During the fifteenth century and beyond the castle declined in importance and was predominantly used as a warehouse for wool although the castle was periodically visited by the Earls of Arundel. In 1439 the castle and the rape were split further reducing its importance.

Lewes Castle, and its grounds, are a Scheduled Ancient Monument with the Historic England website telling us:

Reasons for Designation

Motte castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans. They comprised a large conical mound of earth or rubble, the motte, surmounted by a palisade and a stone or timber tower. In a majority of examples an embanked enclosure containing additional buildings, the bailey, adjoined the motte. Motte castles and motte-and-bailey castles acted as garrison forts during offensive military operations, as strongholds, and, in many cases, as aristocratic residences and the centre of local or royal administration. Built in towns, villages and open countryside, motte castles generally occupied strategic positions dominating their immediate locality and, as a result, are the most visually impressive monuments of the early post-Conquest period surviving in the modern landscape. Over 600 motte castles or motte-and-bailey castles are recorded nationally, with examples known from most regions. As such, and as one of a restricted range of recognised early post-Conquest monuments, they are particularly important for the study of Norman Britain and the development of the feudal system. Although many were occupied for only a short period of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.

The castle at Lewes is unique in having two mottes and hence illustrates some of the diversity of this class of monument. It survives well, with large areas of open space within which archaeological remains are considered likely to survive as well as with much original architectural detail. This is in spite of the disturbance caused by partial collapse of the motte, stone robbing, conversion to a pleasure garden, consolidation and partial excavation. Since it is opened to the public, the monument is of high amenity value.

History

The monument includes two mounds, the area between the mounds which includes some surviving Norman walling and vaults and part of the western ditch, all belonging to the Norman castle at Lewes, as well as the outer gateway added in the early 14th century. The Norman castle, built for William de Warenne shortly after the Conquest in AD1066, consists of two large mounds, or mottes, each surrounded by a deep ditch and linked by a broad courtyard, or bailey. The mottes were surmounted by timber palisades which were replaced by stone `shell keeps' around AD1100. The bailey area, some 135m south-west/north-west by 100m south- east/north-west, also had a continuous flint wall with towers at intervals and a rectangular gatehouse, of which only the east wall survives. Angular towers were added to the shell keep of the south-western motte in the 13th century and in the early 14th century the round-turreted outer gatehouse, or barbican, was built to strengthen the gateway. In the 18th century the south-west motte was extensively reconstructed to form a Georgian pleasure garden. Much of the walling of the castle was consolidated in the early 20th century. Finally, excavations on the south-west motte in 1985-88 revealed details of the domestic buildings of the castle which backed onto the shell keep wall. These included a hall, kitchen and chapel. Included in the scheduling are the vaults under the Castle precincts and all surviving parts of the Norman and 14th century gatehouses. Excluded from the scheduling are: the railway tunnel beneath the bailey; the metalling of all paths, roads and car parks; all modern structures, ie. Castle Lodge and the cellars on the eastern side of it; Castlegate House and its cellars; Castle Precincts; the Malthouse; Castle Precincts Cottage; Brack Mound House; and the service trenches to all these buildings. But the ground beneath these features is included. The Castle, the Barbican and Inner Gatehouse are Listed Buildings Grade I; The Castle Lodge, Castlegate House, Curtain Wall, Brack Mound House, Castle Precincts Cottage, Bowling Green Pavilion, Malthouse and Castle Precincts are listed Grade II.

Wikipedia has an article about Lewes Castle that tells us:

Lewes Castle stands at the highest point of Lewes, East Sussex, England on an artificial mound constructed with chalk blocks. It was originally called Bray Castle.

The first fortification on the site was a wooden keep, later converted to stone. It is unusual for a motte and bailey construction in that it has two mottes. It is one of only two such remaining in the country, the other being Lincoln. The Barbican is a particularly fine example of its type.

Lewes Castle was built in 1069 by William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, the son-in-law of William the Conqueror. William de Warenne and his descendants also had estates and built castles in Reigate, Surrey (Reigate Castle) and in Yorkshire (Sandal Castle and Conisbrough Castle) and Castle Acre, Norfolk . When the last of the Warennes John, the 7th Earl died without issue in 1347, he was buried in Lewes Priory. His title passed to his nephew Richard Fitzalan who was also Earl of Arundel.

The castle was leased by Sussex Archaeological Society from 1850 not long after its foundation in 1846 as both exhibition space and attraction, although houses in the precincts remain privately owned. 'Sussex Past', an operational name for the Sussex Archaeological Society now owns the castle after it having been gifted by Mr (later Sir) Charles Thomas-Stanford in 1922.[1] Tickets are sold from Barbican House which is just opposite the entrance gate, and include access to the Barbican House Museum of Sussex archaeology and the Town Model, both located there. Barbican House also has a gift shop, bookshop and library for members of the archaeological society. Various events take place at the castle, including two plays annually, children's parties and weddings. It is a prominent feature of the town, situated close to the High Street and visible from much of the surrounding residential areas.

The castle is currently open to visitors.