Prim, precious, peculiar: these are the words that come to mind in the hill-hemmed town of Lewes, 80km south of London in the county of Sussex, which at first seems to consist of little more than tea rooms and antiques shops.

But the town has a major selling point: history. Its past is as distinctive and winding as the local lanes known as twittens.

The town's main claim to fame is its alleged status as 'the birthplace of democracy', based on a medieval hillside confrontation that pitted King Henry III against the Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort. De Montfort won the battle and, the following year (1265), set up a doomed prototype parliament. That same year, forces loyal to the king launched a counter-attack at the Battle of Evesham, smashing De Montfort and, by extension, his liberal institution. To rub it in, the royalists chopped him up and stuck his head on a spike. Still, the upstart earl triumphed in the long run because he's known as the father of the House of Commons.

Another famous Lewes libertarian, Thomas Paine (1737-1809), is acknowledged as a founding father of the US. Paine moved to the town in 1768 to take a job as an excise officer. He served on the town council and joined the 0local debating society, the Headstrong Club, which met at the White Hart Inn (a cosy place to stay today). Despite these affiliations, he and Lewes were doomed to part abruptly.

He lost his job after demanding a pay rise, and his marriage and tobacco shop failed. So, in 1774, Paine set out for the New World.

Other pioneers linked with Lewes range from 'the greatest Englishman who ever lived', King Alfred the Great, to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. If you want to get in touch with the spirit of the latter, visit Shelley's Hotel, a 16th- century high street manor house where he had his honeymoon in 1812.

If you prefer grandeur to romance, check out the Norman fortification that overshadows the town. It was built by a son-in-law of William the Conqueror, William de Warenne, shortly after the invasion of 1066 and became the main seat for his family and a Sussex stronghold.

The castle is a flint, functional structure that oozes the ruthlessness that propelled the conquest. Beyond the barbican gate lies the site of the jousting ground that evolved into a bowling green where, after a game, Paine reputedly received the inspiration for The Rights of Man.

Lewes Priory, which was also established by De Warenne, in 1077, is just as spooky.

An arrow's flight away lies Southover Grange, an Elizabethan house built in 1572, which was the childhood home of the diarist John Evelyn. With gorgeous gardens, it's a magnet for newly weds. The plants include an Indian bean tree, one of the oldest mulberry trees and one of the largest magnolia trees in England.

Go to www.lewes.gov.uk/visit/tics.html or call (44 1273) 483 448