Lewes Quakers re-open their historic meeting house
Lewes Quaker Meeting House officially re-opened its doors last month after a years-long project to make the building both accessible and sustainable.
Lewes Quaker Meeting House officially re-opened its doors last month after a years-long project to make the building both accessible and sustainable.
This historic listed building has been adapted to create a new step-free accessible entrance. A light and spacious foyer leads along the side of the building to the main meeting room and a cosy room suitable for small groups or 1:1 sessions. The community room, kitchen and library have also been modernised and are accessible for group use.
The meeting house first opened in 1784 and since then generations of people have been welcomed to share this culturally important space. Lewes Friend Chris Lawson commented, 'We're delighted that we can now support the community with an accessible meeting house that offers rooms for hire as well as providing a warm, sustainable living space for a small family in the flat upstairs.'
The meeting house has been refurbished with sustainability in mind, with internal insulation making the upstairs flat warmer and easier to heat and a heat pump providing warmth for the whole building.
Lewes is a historic town with lots of cobbles and old buildings, so it makes a real difference that the town now has another accessible building for the community. The building has been preserved and, with its focus on sustainability, future-proofed for not only Quakers but all the residents of Lewes to use and enjoy.