We checked 15 Lewes area shops, from Closet & Botts to the Sussex Guild's makers at Southover Grange, for opening hours and addresses. Updated November 2026.

Lewes and Seaford have 15 independent shops worth a Christmas shopping trip in 2026, and this guide puts them in one place with opening hours, addresses and what each one sells. Closet & Botts, Wickle, the Sussex Guild shop at Southover Grange and Lewes Flea Market are the names most people land on. We checked every entry on 5 November 2026 against the shop’s own site, and say where we could not.

We have not shopped at any of these for this guide, and nothing here is a review. Each entry says what the shop says it sells, in its own words where we can quote them. Shops often change their hours close to Christmas, so check before a special trip.

Dates for the Christmas shopping diary

Saturday 14 November to Saturday 12 December: the makers’ fairs. Lewes has four Christmas fairs this year, from the free Lewes Creatives Christmas Emporium at the All Saints Centre on 14 November to the Artists & Makers Fair at the Town Hall on 27 and 28 November and the Cliffe Christmas Fair on 12 December. Dates, times and entry prices are on our Lewes Christmas markets page.

Late Night Shopping: 2026 date not announced. Lewes Town Council’s event page still showed the 2025 evening when we checked: Thursday 4 December, 6pm to 9pm, with a castle Christmas market, a Santa’s grotto and a 12-star trail through the shops. The last two ran on the first Thursday of December, which would make it Thursday 3 December. We will add the date when it is published.

Saturday 12 December: Seaford Christmas Magic. Seaford’s lantern parade and lights switch-on is two weeks later than usual this year. What we know is on our Seaford Christmas Magic page.

Parking. In 2024 Lewes District Council made its Lewes car parks free on the Saturdays in December. We found no announcement for 2026 by 5 November. The council’s car parks in Seaford, Newhaven and Peacehaven are free all year.

Lewes High Street and Station Street

1. Closet & Botts, High Street

The founders of Closet & Botts spent 18 months learning the trade, scouring “the flea markets of Europe” for pop-up shops and vintage fairs before opening in an old pharmacy on the High Street in February 2014. In 2020 it moved across the road to a former men’s outfitters at number 37.

The shop describes its stock as “an eclectic mix of vintage, new and handmade homeware, furniture and clothes”, and its gift range runs from candles and enamelware to knitwear, cards and boxed gifts.

Open Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm; Sun 11am to 4pm
Call 01273 471486
Address 37 High Street, BN7 2LU
Website closetandbotts.com
Good for vintage, homeware, clothing, cards, gift cards

2. Wickle, High Street

Elisabeth and Scott founded Wickle in 2004 and moved it from London to Lewes, where they have been selling “an eclectic mix of all the things we love” since 2006. They call it a mini department store: homeware, clothing, toys, gifts and “everyday useful items”.

The website says it carries only a small part of the shop’s range, and suggests calling during opening hours if you cannot find something online. The shop does not publish its street number; it is on the High Street.

Open Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm
Call 01273 487969
Address High Street, Lewes
Website wickle.co.uk
Good for toys, games and puzzles, craft kits, candles, cards and wrap

3. Alexis Dove, High Street

Alexis Dove makes her jewellery in Lewes workshops, and her showroom displays the collections “in vintage chocolate and taxidermy cabinets and bell jars”. Her Visit Lewes listing says the pieces draw on wild flowers and on historical and vintage jewellery.

The range runs from silver and gold plate to fine jewellery, and the shop takes appointments for bespoke commissions. Address and hours below are from the Visit Lewes listing.

Open Tue to Sat 10am to 5pm
Call 01273 470538
Address 19 High Street, BN7 2LN
Website alexisdove.com
Good for handmade jewellery, bespoke commissions, gift vouchers

4. Cheese Please, High Street

Cheese Please sells artisan British and continental cheeses, accompaniments and gift boxes from its shop on the High Street. Orders placed online can be delivered nationwide by next-day courier or collected in store, and the shop says it can make up bespoke boxes if you call in or ring.

Online orders take a preferred delivery date in the comments box at checkout, which helps for Christmas.

Open Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm
Call 01273 481048
Address 46 High Street, BN7 2DD
Website cheesepleaselewes.co.uk
Good for cheese gift boxes, accompaniments, nationwide delivery

5. Covet, High Street

Covet is a small chain of women’s fashion boutiques in Hove, Lewes and Godalming. It says the Lewes shop carries “a unique collection of fashion brands and gifts”, with knitwear, dresses, jewellery, bags, hats and scarves among the categories online.

It also offers personal shopping. Address and phone are from the shop’s Visit Lewes listing; it does not publish Lewes hours.

Call 01273 472257
Address 49 High Street, BN7 2DD
Website covetstyle.co.uk
Good for women's fashion, knitwear, accessories, personal shopping

6. Bow Windows Book Shop, High Street

Bow Windows was founded by Dawsons, the company that also owned Dawsons of Pall Mall, and Alan and Jennifer Shelley ran it from 1984 to 2010, moving it to its present High Street shop in 1994. It is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association.

Its own website did not load for us, so the hours and phone below are from its Visit Lewes listing.

Open Mon to Sat 9.30am to 5pm
Call 01273 480780
Address 175 High Street, BN7 1YE
Website bowwindows.com
Good for antiquarian books, second-hand books

Chalk Gallery is run by its artists, 18 of them, selling original paintings, prints, ceramics and jewellery. Its Autumn Show runs to 15 November, with new work from all 18 and three guest artists.

The gallery also offers a framing service. It was closed on 4 and 5 November for Bonfire, and says parking is free in the nearby council car parks on Sundays.

Open Tue to Sun 10am to 5pm
Call 01273 474477
Address 2 Station Street, BN7 2DA
Website chalkgallerylewes.co.uk
Good for original art, ceramics, jewellery, framing

The Needlemakers and Market Street

8. The Needlemakers, West Street

The Needlemakers was built as a Georgian tallow candle factory and later made surgical needles in wartime. Today the 18th-century building holds a cluster of independent shops, fitted out with recycled church pews and old timbers.

Current tenants include Flux Jewellery, Mr Leather, A Gateway to India and Kelly’s Lullaby Corner. There are entrances on Market Lane and West Street, with short-stay parking outside.

Open Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm; Sun 11am to 4pm
Address West Street, BN7 2NZ
Website needlemakers.co.uk
Good for independent shops under one roof, jewellery, leather goods

9. Lewes Flea Market, Market Street

Lewes Flea Market fills a building on Market Street with stalls and cabinets rented by individual sellers, and it trades 362 days a year. The stock is what dealers bring in: furniture, collectables, jewellery, prints, lighting and “retro furnishings”.

It closes at 3.30pm on Christmas Eve and does not open on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.

Open Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm; Sat, Sun and bank holidays 10.30am to 5pm
Call 01273 480328
Address 14a Market Street, BN7 2NB
Website flea-markets.co.uk
Good for antiques, collectables, vintage, open every day

Southover

The Sussex Guild, a group of designer makers founded 50 years ago, has run its shop in the North Wing of Southover Grange for 20 years, beside the Grange Gardens. On sale is work by its members: ceramics, glass, jewellery and silversmithing, leather, prints, textiles and wood.

The shop is staffed by the makers themselves. Online, the Guild has a range of Christmas cards by its members.

Open every day 10am to 5pm; closed Christmas Day
Call 01273 479565
Address The North Wing, Southover Grange, Southover Road, BN7 1TP
Website thesussexguild.co.uk/the-sussex-guild-shop
Good for handmade craft, ceramics, jewellery, prints, Christmas cards

11. Charleston in Lewes, Southover Road

Charleston, the trust that runs the Bloomsbury Group farmhouse at Firle, has exhibition space and a shop in Lewes. At last year’s Late Night Shopping it described the shop’s stock as “Bloomsbury-inspired gifts, seasonal treats and homewares”.

From 4 November 2026 the Lewes exhibitions are pay what you can, Wednesday to Sunday. The address below is from the venue’s Art Fund listing.

Open Wed to Sun 10am to 5pm
Address Southover House, Southover Road, BN7 1AB
Website charleston.org.uk
Good for Bloomsbury-inspired gifts, homeware, books, exhibitions

Cliffe High Street and South Street

12. belle&co, Cliffe High Street

Yad Luthra started belle&co after 30 years in entertainment PR. It sells vintage, retro and modern furniture, in the belief “that second-hand can be first-class”.

It is a furniture shop rather than a gift shop, but it suits a bigger present. The website also carries the owner’s own guide to a weekend in Lewes.

Open Sun to Fri 10am to 4pm; Sat 10am to 5pm
Call 01273 476629
Address 50a Cliffe High Street, BN7 2AN
Website belleandcompany.co.uk
Good for vintage furniture, retro furniture, Sunday opening

13. The Emporium Antiques Centre, Cliffe High Street

The Emporium is one of the antiques centres on Cliffe High Street, the stretch beyond the bridge best known for antique and vintage shops. It has no website of its own.

The hours and phone below are from its Visit Lewes listing.

Open Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm; Sat 9.30am to 5.30pm; Sun and bank holidays 12pm to 4pm
Call 01273 486866
Address 42 Cliffe High Street, BN7 2AN
Good for antiques, collectables, Sunday opening

14. Bags of Books, South Street

Bags of Books is an independent children’s bookshop on the corner of South Street, at the foot of Cliffe. It sells books from baby and toddler titles to young adult fiction and graphic novels, and runs author events for schools.

Its website was already listing Christmas titles when we checked, and it sells gift vouchers, including an e-voucher.

Open Mon to Sat 9am to 5.30pm
Call 01273 479320
Address 1 South Street, BN7 2BT
Website bags-of-books.co.uk
Good for children's books, young adult fiction, gift vouchers

Seaford

Sussex Art Prints sells archival giclée prints, greetings cards and homeware featuring the work of Sussex artists Amanda Lewis-Clements and Stefan Mucha. Subjects include the Seven Sisters, Birling Gap and Beachy Head lighthouse.

The range also takes in coasters, tea towels, zip pouches and gift vouchers. The gallery does not publish opening hours on its site, so ring before a special trip.

Call 01323 891954
Address 18b Church Street, Seaford, BN25 1HG
Website sussexartprints.co.uk
Good for art prints, greetings cards, tea towels, gift vouchers

How we chose

These are the independent shops people search for in Lewes and Seaford, chosen because they sell what people buy at Christmas and because we could check their details: the shop’s own website first, then its Visit Lewes listing, and for Charleston its Art Fund listing. We checked every entry on 5 November 2026. We left out Harvey’s Brewery Shop on Cliffe High Street only because its website would not load on the day we checked, and Union Music Store because its holding page gives no hours or address. Both will be added once we can check them. Run a shop that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@lewespost.co.uk. Taken a good photograph of any of these places? Email it to newsdesk@lewespost.co.uk and we will add it with your name as the credit.

More for December: Christmas dinner in Lewes, Santa’s grottos, the Lewes pantomime, ice rinks near Lewes, what’s on in Lewes this month and things to do in Lewes. Local businesses are listed in our Lewes directory.

Frequently asked questions

When is Lewes Late Night Shopping in 2026?

The 2026 date had not been announced when we checked on 5 November 2026. Lewes Town Council’s event page still shows the 2025 evening, Thursday 4 December from 6pm to 9pm, with a castle Christmas market, a Santa’s grotto and a 12-star trail through the shops. The last two ran on the first Thursday of December, which would make it Thursday 3 December.

Where can I buy handmade Christmas gifts in Lewes?

The Sussex Guild Shop and Gallery at Southover Grange sells work by its members, with ceramics, glass, jewellery, prints, textiles and wood, and is open every day from 10am to 5pm except Christmas Day. Chalk Gallery on Station Street is run by its 18 artists, and Alexis Dove makes her jewellery in Lewes workshops.

Are Lewes shops open on Sundays before Christmas?

Several publish Sunday hours, including Closet & Botts and The Needlemakers (11am to 4pm), the Sussex Guild shop (10am to 5pm), Chalk Gallery (10am to 5pm), Lewes Flea Market (10.30am to 5pm), belle&co (10am to 4pm) and Charleston in Lewes (10am to 5pm). Wickle, Cheese Please, Bags of Books, Bow Windows and Alexis Dove do not list Sunday opening.