10 High St – Fitzroy House

Grade II listed Fitzroy House is one of Lewes’ most notable and iconic properties. Built in 1862 as a memorial to Henry Fitzroy, MP for Lewes for 24 years, it was commissioned by his wife Hannah (nee Rothschild) and designed by architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, best known for the Albert Memorial and The St Pancras Hotel.
Internally, there is the extraordinary Fitzroy Octagonal Room with a domed glass roof, surrounded by an exceptional wood constructed minstrel gallery with 6 feature windows below, 5 of them with the original shutters, and 6 circular windows above, currently used as an event and exhibition space. The entrance hall has the original tiled floor, classic gothic arches, stone pillars with a shaped turquoise ceiling and a stairway with cast iron balustrades and wooden handrail.