WINCHELSEA

 Winchelsea is one of those small places that has benefitted by being by-passed at quite an early stage. The tortuous hill that carried most of the traffic between Hastings and Rye around the outside of the town, has meant that the old structure of the town has been preserved.

Founded in 1288 by Edward I, it lies about a mile inland from the current coastline, approximately two miles from Rye and seven miles from Hastings.

The town was laid out in a grid pattern of streets, as is clearly still visible to the present day. A large number of cellars were constructed at the time, and guided tours of these famous Medieval Cellars are run by a team of volunteers. 

Almost the entire town is a designated Conservation Area and most of the surrounding land is owned and managed by the National Trust. The town boasts an extraordinary 140 listed buildings, a testament to its long and rich history.

 The present town replaced an earlier town of the same name, destroyed by storms in 1287.

The first town of Winchelsea, now called by historians Old Winchelsea, grew up at the confluence of the Rivers Brede, Rother and Tillingham. The town became an important shipping port for cross-channel trade and acted as a major naval base.

The importance of Old Winchelsea was recognised when it was named an 'Antient Town', an outpost of the Cinque Ports town of Hastings, with special privileges.

Unfortunately, coastal erosion meant that the port of Old Winchelsea was no longer viable. In 1281 Edward I ordered a new planned town to be built on top of Iham Hill, over a mile away, where a Saxon settlement already existed.

Before the Norman conquest it used to have its own mint, and became a port of considerable importance in the 11th century. However in 1250 it was partially submerged by the sea. Sixteen years later in 1266 it was sacked by Prince Edward, in order to put an end to the indiscriminate piracy rife amongst Winchelsea's seamen. Then in 1287 a Great Storm destroyed Old Winchelsea and the townsfolk who survived moved to the present location.

This new Winchelsea was laid out on a grid system, and retained its affiliation with the Cinque Ports even though it was no longer a coastal settlement. It did, however, have a tidal port, as the River Brede runs by the base of the hill.

Winchelsea is often described as the smallest town in Britain to have its own Mayor. Although the Mayor and Corporation lost their civil and judicial powers in 1886, the formal structures were preserved by an Act of Parliament in order to maintain the town's membership of the Confederation of Cinque Ports. They retain both a ceremonial role and responsibility for a number of the ancient monuments of the town. 

In the 11th century five towns in the south east of England, namely Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich, banded together in a confederation designed for mutual protection, for coastal defence and for the furtherance of their trade. The King used them in certain ways - a packet boat service - perhaps even as early as the reign of Edward the Confessor, for which they were paid, not in cash but by the granting of certain privileges, most of which had a financial value. The duties and the privileges of the five ports grew with the years and their heyday came in the thirteenth century, by which time the "Ancient Towns" of Winchelsea and Rye had been added to their number. The title "Cinque Ports" remained although there were now seven head ports. The sign depicts the badge of the Cinque Ports Confederation

(Below) This is Court Hall. It was built in the 14th century and has a 13th-century doorway in the east wall, brought from elsewhere.

Court Hall was used as the Winchelsea Town Hall from 1557, and the Mayor of Winchelsea is elected here annually on Easter Monday. The lower floor of Court Hall was originally used as the town gaol.

The town sign proudly bears the arms of the Cinque Ports

There are many buildings of significant interest within the town, including 3 of the original town gates. 

This is the Strand Gate, which gave access to the port. The gate stands at the eastern end of High Street, at its junction with Strand Hill.

This impressive gateway dates to the late 13th century and boasts four round towers linked to short sections of wall. The main passage has two portcullises, one at each end. The original tower was a third higher than the tower we see today, with a porter's lodge in the north-eastern tower and a chamber over the central arch for the portcullis winding mechanism. the original gateway would have been rendered white, which would have made it a striking sight from the river approaches to the town.

The Church of St. Thomas the Martyr lies amidst ruins of a far larger building, at the heart of the town, and is well worth investigating.

The churchyard is, of course, known for being the final resting place of the great Spike Milligan. 

As one of Britain’s most beloved comedians, it was only fitting therefore that when he died, he should have an equally funny epitaph. He had previously said he wanted his headstone to bear the words “I told you I was ill”. However, because Milligan was buried at St Thomas' churchyard, the diocese wouldn’t let him have the line written.

Luckily, his family found a way around the Church’s un-fun ruling. They translated the line into Gaelic. “Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite” was chiselled in, and the diocese was perfectly happy to let it stand to this day.

The town sits high on a hill, and the view out over the Pett Levels is wonderful