Scheduled Monuments›England›Medieval town of Winchelsea

Medieval town of Winchelsea

England
List entry 1002245
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1002245
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
37.75 hectares
Grid reference
TQ 90390 16815, TQ 90168 17485, TQ 90170 16681, TQ 90331 17032, TQ 90286 16752, TQ 90189 16992, TQ 90642 17274
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Winchelsea is a planned medieval town in Sussex, England, founded in the late thirteenth century following the inundation of the original Old Winchelsea by storm and sea surge. Established by royal charter under Edward I, the new settlement was laid out on a grid pattern on a hilltop site, representing a significant example of medieval urban planning and deliberate town foundation. The town retains evidence of its original layout with street patterns and plot divisions characteristic of planned settlements of this period, though much of the medieval built fabric has been lost to subsequent decline and coastal erosion. Winchelsea served as an important Cinque Port and trading centre during the medieval period, contributing substantially to England's maritime commerce and defence before economic and physical circumstances led to its eventual diminishment.

Medieval town of Winchelsea is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002245. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Medieval town of Winchelsea?

Winchelsea is a planned medieval town in Sussex, England, founded in the late thirteenth century following the inundation of the original Old Winchelsea by storm and sea surge. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002245.

Who is responsible for protecting Medieval town of Winchelsea?

Medieval town of 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 1002245.

What other scheduled monuments are near Medieval town of Winchelsea?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Grey Friars, Winchelsea (0.4 km), Barn and cellar in Rectory Lane (0.4 km), Royal Military Canal, Wickham Cliff to Strand Bridge, Winchelsea (0.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Medieval town of Winchelsea

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Medieval town of Winchelsea's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Grey Friars, Winchelsea
0.4 km
Barn and cellar in Rectory Lane
0.4 km
Royal Military Canal, Wickham Cliff to Strand Bridge, Winchelsea
0.5 km
Town ditch N of New Gate, Winchelsea
0.5 km
New Gate, Winchelsea
0.6 km
Strand Gate, Winchelsea
0.6 km
Ferry Gate, Winchelsea
0.7 km
Moat at Old Place
2.1 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Medieval town of Winchelsea

Medieval town of Winchelsea stands on Wealden Group, bedrock that formed in the Barremian. The rock here is sandstone and siltstone, interbedded.

The wider landscape

Around Medieval town of Winchelsea

Battle of Hastings 1066Battle (1066) · ~9.6 miles
Domesday entry for Udimore, Sussex →
All Scheduled Monuments