Storage Chamber And Tunnel To Rear Of Nos 20-21

Storage chamber and tunnel to the rear of Nos 20-21 High Street, Lewes

An early 18th-century chalk block vault, approximately 19 metres by 6 metres in plan, with a northern arched brick entrance measuring approximately 10.5 metres by 1.6 metres. The entrance has later internal partitions and a reconstructed entrance arch.

Access to the chamber is through a square north doorway, where the original door and lintel have been removed, although substantial pintles remain fixed to the jambs. Two squared recesses are positioned on the northern wall, one on each side of the entrance passage, which may originally have held lamps to illuminate the chamber.

The main vault has been divided into two sub-chambers by a brick wall running from floor to ceiling. The larger northern chamber has interior dimensions of approximately 15 metres by 6 metres, while the smaller southern chamber measures approximately 4 metres by 6 metres. A centrally placed doorway connects the two sub-chambers. Additional mid-18th-century brick-built partitions have been inserted into both chambers. A partition in the north-west corner, constructed from different brick, dates to the late 19th or early 20th century.

A square opening in the centre of the southern wall's upper surface has been blocked with brick and chalk. Its location suggests it may have been an access point or hatch leading to Brooman's Lane.

The chalk blocks carry masons' assembly marks in the form of Roman numerals. Numerous examples of inscribed graffiti cover the walls, comprising names, dates and symbols such as picks or mattocks, executed in varying scripts. The earliest dated graffiti recorded are from 1723, including 'loeL. Paine aprill y 20 1723' and 'A Galoway 1723'. Further examples range from the later 18th century through to the 20th century, with the latest dated example from 1955.

Various service features including drains, vents and cabling are visible within the vault.

The vault is presumed to have been constructed around 1723, based on its form and the earliest graffiti evidence. It likely served as a storage facility, probably for wine and spirits, with goods delivered via the access hatch onto Brooman's Lane to the south. A large square door originally secured the main chamber from the entrance tunnel to the north. The brick partitions within the main chamber appear to be a secondary insertion, possibly dating to the mid-18th century, designed to create individual storage areas. These divisions were subsequently altered and elaborated through the 19th and 20th centuries. A brick façade was added to the entrance tunnel, possibly in the 19th century.