Sussex Past is grateful to Viridor Waste Management Ltd for help with funds to complete these works.

The location of Bull House
Bull House is situated prominently in the heart of historic Lewes, East Sussex, on the High Street, only a stone's throw from the Castle. Its formal address is 92, High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XH. It is an elegant black and white timbered framed building, dating from the 15th century. The building is owned by a registered charity, the Sussex Archaeological Society, and used by the Society as offices for its Head Office staff, with most of the upper floors occupied by a private tenant.

About its owners, the Sussex Archaeological Society
The Sussex Archaeological Society is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. It was founded in 1846 and its charitable aim is to promote the study of history and archaeology in East and West Sussex. The charity is governed by a board of Trustees (between 10 and 14), elected from its membership at the AGM. The Society is a membership body and has over 2000 members, who receive three newsletters and a journal each year. The Society has the responsibility of opening six museums to the public in Sussex, including the celebrated Fishbourne Roman Palace, near Chichester (for more information about the Society, log onto www.sussexpast.co.uk). The Society is a financially independent organisation. Most of its income comes from visitors paying to get into its six museums in Sussex, and from associated secondary spend at those properties. The Society does not receive any revenue support from any external organisation.

The importance of Bull House
Bull House is an important building in its own right on the Lewes street-scene. It is distinctive in terms of its predominantly black-and-white appearance, and its location near Westgate, at one end of the historic High Street, ensures that it is always noted by locals and visitors alike. It is a Grade 11* Listed Building. It is so appealing from the outside that people often express a desire to see inside it. In addition, for six years between 1768 and 1774 it housed revolutionary writer Tom Paine, the intellectual inspiration behind the American revolution. This association, proudly proclaimed in painted gold letters on the outside of the building, gives Bull House an international dimension.

What we are doing to the building
The Sussex Archaeological Society is working on a plan to provide some limited weekend public opening to the offices inside Bull House. (During the working week the building will still function as the Head Office of the Society). In order to achieve this, the interior and exterior of the building need to be refurbished, with some significant repairs effected to the rendering and timberwork. In addition, the railings on the outside of the building need to be totally replaced. Interpretation boards will be installed in the rooms open to the public, and a leaflet on Tom Paine and Bull House will be printed for visitors to the building, and displayed elsewhere in Sussex to encourage more visits to the building. Tom Paine and Bull House will be given a prominent place on our busy website – www.sussexpast.co.uk. The specifications for the works have been drawn up by our conservation architect, Alistair Hunt of the Hunt Partnership.

A grant towards the cost of these works has been offered to us by Viridor, under the Landfill Community Fund scheme. Other organisations, such as Lewes Town Council and the Headstrong Club, and private individuals have generously contributed towards the costs, and all donors and grantors will be noted on an Acknowledgements Board within Bull House. Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent have been received from the Lewes District Council, which is very supportive of the project to open the building to the public. We wish to try and open the building in the summer of 2008. The building would be open many weekends every year, to pre-booked guided groups. In addition, access to pre-booked guided tours will be offered during the week of the Tom Paine festival (Monday to Friday), and at six other days during the year to be determined by the Sussex Archaeological Society. Given that 2009 is the bi-centenary of Tom Paine’s death we are extremely anxious to open the building and gain some experience in opening it by that date, so that it can play a full role in the community events being organised in Lewes to celebrate the bi-centennial.

What we are NOT doing to the building
Its most important that we also give you the information on what we are NOT doing! Bull House will not become a Tom Paine Museum; there will not be free access to the building whenever the public require it, and the building will still be used as the HQ of the Sussex Archaeological Society, with the upper rooms let to a private tenant. Do keep looking at www.sussexpast.co.uk for updates on our building programme.