Home of Lewes FC

Opened 1885

Capacity 3,000

Rating: 4.5

(244) Google Reviews

A ground that should be on every football fans to do list. Not only wonderfully quirky but you are actually made welcome. Great selection of beers from local brewery, excellent food choices again from local supplier and not a national chain, live music if you want it and plenty of outlets to keep you fed and watered, plus on the way out was a greeter thanking you for coming. I spend a lot of my life touring football grounds and still so many I want to see, but will return to this one even though I live 318 miles away. Also never seen so many dogs at a game,must have been over 20
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11 months ago
Lovely ground dripping pan great game Lewes Hastings 1.1 draw toilets very clean they have unisex toilets I got say it all years been football match these were best every.
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4 months ago
Great iconic old ground. Excellent variety of food and drinks available. Locals very friendly. Ground offers great views of the action as well.
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11 months ago
Visited the Dripping Pan with my team for an FA Trophy game The ground is a natural amphitheatre giving a great view of games from any position As you enter the view is really impressive with an excellent pitch and large seated stand Good food outlets & bar I can understand why this ground is so highly rated
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2 months ago
Enjoyed our visit to Lewes. Lovely stadium, friendly people and great vegan food.
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11 months ago

History (from Wikipedia)

The Dripping Pan is a football stadium in LewesEngland. It has been home to Lewes F.C. since their foundation in 1885. It had previously been used by Lewes Priory Cricket Club, though the ground itself had been used by the people of Lewes as an area for recreation, including athletics, as far back as written records exist.

Early history[edit]

The original purpose of the site is unclear, although local legend suggests that it was part of a salt making industry run by monks from the adjacent Cluniac Lewes Priory, the ruins of which can still be seen from the ground. The spoil from the excavation forms the Mount behind the Clubhouse, and both structures appear in the very earliest maps of Lewes in 1745.
Indeed, the ground may merely be the excavation pit for the Mount itself, which has been suggested as the original 'temporary' motte and bailey fortress constructed by 
William the Conqueror's close ally, William de Warenne, before he developed Lewes Castle on higher ground. An archaeological survey during construction of the new terrace failed to reveal any further insights into either the purpose or the age of the ground itself.
The earliest known use for cricket was 
2nd Duke of Richmond's XI v Sir William Gage's XI in August 1730. It is not clear if the game was started as an announcement stated that "it was put off on account of Waymark, the Duke's man, being ill". Thomas Waymark was the outstanding player of the time.[1][2][3] Two earlier matches are known to have taken place in Lewes but the specific location in each case was not recorded. The first was towards the end of the 1728 season and was a proposed match between the 2nd Duke of Richmond's XI and Sir William Gage's XI.[4] The second was in September 1729 when a combined Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire team played against Kent.[5][6]
Lewes F.C. have played at the Dripping Pan every year since 1885, apart from a couple of seasons immediately prior to the First World War when the club played at the adjoining Convent Field.

Recent history[edit]

The Dripping Pan has seen major redevelopment over recent years in order for it to achieve the necessary ground grading to allow it to be used as a football venue in the Conference South and the Conference National. Developing the ground has had its obstacles as the perimeter walls of the Dripping Pan are listed structures.
In April 2008, the ground was awarded a 'B' grade, allowing it to be used in the Conference National. The ground has since been updated further to ensure it was awarded the required 'A' grade by April 2009.

Stands[edit]

The ground has one covered terrace, one uncovered terrace, a grass bank with walkway and a covered stand; a total capacity of 3,000 with seated accommodation for 600 in the main Rookery Stand.
  • Rookery Stand, opened in July 2007, is the newest stand at the ground and replaced the aged wooden South stand. It is a covered, all-seater stand.
  • Ham Lane End is an uncovered terrace on the east side of the pitch. During Lewes' season in the Conference Premier, strict safety regulations meant away fans had to be segregated here. However, it is normally used by both home and away supporters.
  • Philcox Terrace is a covered terrace which was opened in April 2003. From some areas of this terrace the view of one of the corner flags is obscured by the adjacent clubhouse. The top of the terrace affords fine views of the South Downs.
  • Grass Bank. There is one original remaining grass bank at the Dripping Pan, running the length of the pitch on the north side of the stadium. Spectators are permitted on the flat walkway along the top of the bank, but the slope itself is fenced off for safety reasons.
There is a small car park adjacent to the ground, which is run by the local council and not owned by the club.

Things to do nearby.