Under Winchelsea’s quiet streets are more than 50 vaulted medieval cellars or undercrofts, a number rivalled in the UK only in the cities of Bristol, Norwich and Southampton. Most of the cellars are thought to have been built around 1285-1300.
Guided tours by the Winchelsea Archaeological Society (WAS) explain why and how they were built. And you’ll also be able to learn about the history of Winchelsea, including its foundation by Edward I in 1288 to replace the previous town of the same name that was lost to the sea.
The standard cellar tour dates are August, Sunday 12, and 26; September, Saturday 22, and October, Sunday 7 and 28. Starting at 2pm, tours last about 90 minutes and start promptly from the Town Well in Castle Street. The cost is £5 and includes a free cellar guide booklet.
The special cellar tour dates – which include Blackfriars Barn Cellar and its very rare medieval ship graffiti – take place on Wednesday afternoons, August 22, September 19, and October 17. Tours last about 90 minutes and start promptly from the Town Well in Castle Street at 2pm. The cost is £8 and includes a free cellar guide booklet and free entry to the Court Hall Museum, where the tour ends.
Heritage Open Day is on Sunday September 9 – at 11am and 2pm, and offers free entry to Blackfriars Barn. Meet on the cricket field, opposite the Wesley Chapel on Rectory Lane. Bookings can be made in advance for these tours (phone 01797 224637 or via andrewscottb@aol.com), or turn up on the day. Private tours for groups of about 15 can be arranged, please contact us for information. The tours are run by WAS volunteers and profits support WAS’s objectives: to research, preserve and educate about the archaeological features of the town.
Photo: Winchelsea Archaeological Society
Image Credits: Winchelsea Archaeological Society .