Definition of 'Jugg'?

Query posted to the site by Jan, on 05/09/2002:
Walking over the hill to Lewes via Kingston, the other day, it occured to me that, although I know the fisherfolk of Brighton carried their fish to Lewes in ‘juggs’, I have no idea what a jugg is! Is it some sort of bucket or a basket? It also struck me that life would have been easier for them had they followed the Lewes Road and avoided the hills, but I expect that’s a longer route.

Posted by Martin Snow on 05/09/2002:
Juggs Road was the medieval Drove Road to Lewes and was still passable as a ‘green’ Road in the 60s, before the modern scramble bike riders started ruining everything for the responsible motorcyclist. A ‘Jug’ was a Brighton fisherman. Their wives took the catch this way for sale in Lewes – using donkeys! (See the ‘Encyclopaedia of Brighton‘) The valley from Falmer to Lewes was not as readily passable in earlier times.

I can remember when the road was closed by flooding in the 60s. (Oh dear, can I really remember that far back?) I noted from SN&Q that Lewes was flooded from that valley in about 1960. There is a water pumping station there now on the south side of the recently built dual carriageway. I was told that the modern road was blocked or restricted east of the Newmarket Inn in the most recent floods. So nothing changes!

Reference to early maps of Brighton will show that Lewes was reached in the direction of the present Race Hill, that is via the high, drier ground leading north of the present Woodingdean. Perhaps this old road was used by the ‘Gentlemen’ to move their ‘goods’! The main A27 to Lewes was turnpiked in 1770, leaving the old route to ‘green’.

Posted by Geoffrey Mead, on 10/09/2002:
Juggs were the baskets that fish were carried in; the term was transposed to the carriers. I agree with Martin Snow about the route they took. Until the Lewes by-pass roundabout was constructed, the Winterbourne Stream was surface-flowing from Balmer near Falmer to the Ouse at Lewes. It can still be seen in times of flood, so maybe the valley route was more precarious then. (Query…why didn’t they sail the fishing boats up the river to Lewes direct?)

Comments about this page

  • Further to Geoff’s comment, in 1825 a bill came before Parliament for the building of a canal from Brighton to Lewes going up the Bevendean Valley then through a tunnel to near the Newmarket Inn then on to Lewes. It never got built though, otherwise they could have sailed to Lewes!

    By David Larkin (23/08/2004)
  • I used to live at the top of Juggs Road in an old dilapidated caravan owned by a Mr Fred Arnold I believe – any memories anyone? 1970s at a guess.

    By S-L Owens-Peters (31/10/2016)
  • I have just visited friends who live in a wooden cottage constructed from two old mobile homes, on the Juggs Road bridleway overlooking Lewes. It may have been previously owned by the Fred mentioned?

    By Van Salisbury (08/02/2018)
  • Re; delapidated caravan owned by Fred Arnold. It was removed in late 1970 and replaced by one removed from Cuckmere haven when the caravan site was shut down in sept 1970. I moved into it in Nov 1970 with my wife, Fred Arnolds daughter, the winter was attrocious and xmas day the lane was covered in blown snow, we walked down the town and were unable to return for a week.

    By mick symes (29/07/2022)

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