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Ferry Gate, Winchelsea is a fourteenth-century defensive gatehouse forming part of the planned medieval town's fortification system. Constructed during the period following Winchelsea's refoundation in 1288 after the original settlement was destroyed by marine inundation, the gate controlled access to the town and its harbour approaches. The structure represents the military architecture of the late medieval period and demonstrates the strategic importance placed upon protecting this significant port settlement on the Sussex coast. The gateway survives as a substantial example of medieval town defences, reflecting Winchelsea's status as a Cinque Port and its commercial and defensive significance in medieval England.
Ferry Gate, Winchelsea is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002307. View the official record →
Ferry Gate, Winchelsea is a fourteenth-century defensive gatehouse forming part of the planned medieval town's fortification system. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002307.
Ferry Gate, Winchelsea is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1002307.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Barn and cellar in Rectory Lane (0.3 km), Strand Gate, Winchelsea (0.4 km), Grey Friars, Winchelsea (0.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Ferry Gate, Winchelsea's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Ferry Gate, Winchelsea stands on Wealden Group, bedrock that formed in the Barremian. The rock here is sandstone and siltstone, interbedded.