Lewes Priory launches bid to achieve world heritage status

The Lewes Priory Cluniac monastery could achieve UNESCO World Heritage status if a bid by the European Federation of Cluniac Sites (FESC) is successful.

Trust Chairman, Sy Morse-Brown, said: “It is very encouraging that the UNESCO bid is being supported locally and nationally. World Heritage Status will bring invaluable international attention to Lewes. This important meeting demonstrated the enthusiasm with which this project is being received.

"It is now for the town council, which owns Priory Park, to confirm formally that it wishes the bid to proceed with Lewes Priory as a candidate site. There is then much work to be done to provide the Federation with the information which UNESCO will require.”

Delegates from the Federation came to UK last week to visit those Cluniac sites which are the initial candidates in England and Scotland and assess their suitability for the final list.

The bid has already been supported by English Heritage, Sussex Archaeological Society and Lewes Town Council.

On Saturday (May 28) the three delegates made a presentation to Town Councillors and answered questions on the obligations which status might bring.

Lewes Priory Trust had given the visitors a tour of the priory site the previous day and councillor Graham Mayhew presented them with copies of his definitive book “The Monks of St Pancras”.

Cluniac sites like the Priory were centres of Monasticism, a religious practice most prominent in the Norman period of history (11th century).

Monks from Cluny in Eastern France would regularly come to the Lewes Priory in this period and, according to the Trust, the site became one of the most famous monasteries in Britain.

Christopher McGovern, chairman of the Priory Trust, told SussexWorld: “Some of these sites in Spain and France already have World Heritage status. This is a combined bid to bring the whole group of monasteries the same status.

"If the Priory is given this status, it will put Lewes up there with the Taj Mahal and The Pyramids. It will really put Lewes on the map.

“It was a great centre of learning and religion, a massive complex and that is why it is a part of this bid.”

READ MORE

Lewes Platinum Jubilee celebrations go ahead despite the weather

Dogs to be banned from Seaford Seafront

Sussex children’s charity celebrates national Volunteers Week