Winchelsea Church

Right in the heart of Winchelsea is the church of St. Thomas the Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England, murdered in his own cathedral at the behest of King Henry II just after Christmas of 1170.

There was a church dedicated to St. Thomas in Old Winchelsea, first mentioned in 1215. As we know, Old Winchelsea was washed away, and New Winchelsea arose on the hill of Iham, three miles from the coast. The foundations for the new church were begun in 1288, the work being carried out by command of King Edward I. The plan was for a great Gothic hall-type church, with a tower, long nave, chancel, choir, side chapels and transepts. This was an ambitious project and there is no evidence to prove that it was completed according to plan. A sundial by the western wall of the churchyard is said to mark the position of the west end of the nave.

Oak for the roof came from the forest of Anderida, the old Roman name for the area around Pevensey. Stone was imported from Caen in Normandy, marble came from West Sussex, whilst some stone came from the occasionally accessible ruins of Old Winchelsea.

We do know that there was a large central tower, from the evidence of two substantial piers that would have supported it, surviving by the entrance porch. It seems likely that it was wrecked by French or Castilian raiders, so in falling it could easily have destroyed the nave, which was subsequently not rebuilt. We do know, however, that repairs to the church were made during the 15th century.

The 16th century was a time of religious upheaval, with the nation being turned from Catholic to Protestant by King Henry VIII, Protestant to Catholic by Queen Mary I and back to Protestant by her half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I. These were times when many parish priests were deprived of their livings. One of them was Peter Danyell, Protestant Rector of Winchelsea. He was deprived of his living during the reign of Queen Mary in 1555, being replaced by Robert Jordan. Danyell was reinstated during the reign of Queen Elizabeth in 1559.

During the 17th century Civil War, fanatical Puritans, on the side of parliament, smashed many carvings and much stained glass, along with the furnishings of the church. When the diarist John Evelyn visited Winchelsea after the restoration of King Charles II during the 1660s, he wrote of St. Thomas’s being ‘forlorn ruins.’

Most notable of the clergy at St. Thomas’s was probably the Reverend Drake Hollingsberry. He was appointed curate in 1764 and Rector in 1767, staying in post for 64 years. For 40 of those years, he was Chancellor of the diocese of Chichester. On November 30th, 1790, he presented a large clock to the church, which was replaced in 1910. That was of such high quality that it didn’t need an overhaul and dial repainting until 1977.

Until the end of the 18th century a detached tower stood in the southwest side of the churchyard. Very little of its true age or purpose is known. One theory is that it was a campanile, a bell tower. However, it was most likely of Saxon origins, built to protect the villagers of Iham, before New Winchelsea took its place.

John Wesley visited in the 18th century. Banned from preaching in St. Thomas’s, instead he spoke under a tree outside the churchyard. He described the church as ‘that poor skeleton of Ancient Winchelsea with its large church now in ruins.’

Ruinous it certainly was, described in the early years of the 19th century as ‘almost unfit for public worship.’ An extensive programme of restoration began in 1850, which included unblocking the windows on the north and south sides and removing a wall that had earlier been built, turning the north aisle into a vestry. These improvements must have made the church much lighter and more inviting.

St. Thomas’s ancient tombs are of especial interest, with three, it is believed, relics of the church of Old Winchelsea, and removed before its complete inundation. They cannot be identified precisely but maybe are members of the old Godfrey family. One effigy is of an armoured knight, his crossed feet resting on a lion. Next is a lady, her feet on a dog, who is probably his wife. The third is a young man, perhaps their son? Two carved heads adorn that tomb. One is possibly the young man’s likeness, the other a devilish caricature, which some suppose may hint at his true nature.

The Alard chantry and two tombs are superb mediaeval craftsmanship. One is believed to be that of Gervase Alard, King Edward I’s Admiral of the Western Fleet. There he lies, in full armour, a lion by his feet. Sir Gervase was the first man in England to be given the title admiral. Born in Winchelsea, he died there in 1340. On the floor by his tomb lies a slab with a cross carved into it; this was originally filled with brass. At one time it was in the choir. Under it were found bones and a glass bottle. Around the edge is an inscription which, in translation, reads, ‘Reginald Alard, who died on April 15, 1454, lies here. God have mercy on his soul. He who shall pray for his soul shall have 50 days of pardon.’

The second tomb is believed to be that of Stephen Alard, Admiral of the Cinque Ports and Western Fleet, and likely a son of Gervase. In 1315 he was a commissioner for embanking the marshes of Tillingham and East Wytenham. His date of birth is unknown, and he died in either 1327 or 1330.

On the southwest wall is a painted panel, showing the arms of King George III. They date from before 1802, which is when the British sovereigns finally renounced their ancient claim to be King of France and removed the French Royal emblems from their coat of arms. The display of the royal arms dated from the reign of King Henry VIII and his break from the Roman Catholic faith. The arms were to serve as a reminder to both the clergy and laity that parliament had confirmed the sovereign as Supreme Head of the Church of England. There was no legal requirement to display the arms, but it was encouraged during the reign of King Henry VIII. From during the reign of Queen Victoria onwards no new arms were shown in churches.

It is impossible to write an article about St. Thomas’s without mentioning the splendid stained-glass windows that were presented by Lord Blanesborough as a memorial to the Great War. Blanesborough was a senior judge, a Law Lord, who died in 1932 aged 84. Commissioned in 1929, they were in memory of his brothers and nephews, who died during the war. They show birth, life and death, land, air, fire and sea. Archbishop Lang of Canterbury dedicated them on October 21st 1933. The Lady Chapel and War Memorial Altar were a part of Lord Blaneborough’s munificent gift.

There are 72 soldiers buried in the churchyard, the burials dating from between 1808-14, the period of the Peninsular War. They had been living in the barracks of what was originally called Bear Square, subsequently Barracks Square. They were members of a number of different regiments.

Naturally, I have to end with a mention of the most famous Winchelsea burial, Spike Milligan, who lived just outside Winchelsea. He died of kidney failure at the age of 83 on February 27, 2002. He had apparently wanted his gravestone to read, ‘I told you I was ill,’ but the Diocese of Chichester refused permission. To get around this, it was translated into Gaelic, which was permissible.

Image Credits: Nick Forman .