WINCHELSEA

It is difficult to imagine that the Antient Town of Winchelsea, which now has the appearance and population of a small village, was once a leading town of England and the major port of Sussex. Its importance was such that, when Old Winchelsea was destroyed by the sea, King Edward I personally provided its present site on the hill of Iham.

Strand Gate, Winchelsea

Strand Gate, Winchelsea

 In the fourteenth century Winchelsea suffered French raids, the Black Death and the silting of its harbour. Despite this, its Corporation survived, largely through the right of its freemen to elect two members to parliament. Those seats were lost in 1832 and, in the 1880’s, parliament agreed that Winchelsea could keep its mayor and remain a head port of the Confederation, although the corporation ceased to have local government powers.

Visitors, today, will find Tourist Information Points and a map for guidance. Three medieval gateways, the Court Hall (museum open May to October) and St Thomas’s Church, provide the principal points of interest and there is a memorably tranquil atmosphere in this beautiful place.

 ŠThe Confederation of the Cinque Ports (2006)