Winchelsea

A hilltop medieval town laid out on a grid by Edward I, now no bigger than a village.

From King's Cross St Pancras: 1 h 35 min by train · 2 h 29 min by car

Travel times by TravelTime

Time there: 1.5–3 h to see all 3 places

Get directions

VillageArchitectureLandmarks

Must-see places

Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Winchelsea

Interior of St. Thomas the Martyr, Winchelsea (1)

St Thomas the Martyr Church

Church · A large medieval church whose surviving chancel holds six canopied tombs, and whose churchyard is the grave of Spike Milligan.

Strand Gate

Landmark · A twin-towered medieval town gate that traffic still passes through on the road down to Rye.

Medieval Cellar under Salutation Cottages, Winchelsea

Winchelsea Medieval Cellars

Attraction · Guided tours go down into the stone-vaulted cellars that once stored the wine trade of a busy medieval port.

Quick facts

One of the best-preserved medieval planned towns in England, laid out on a rectangular grid by Edward I to replace the old town lost to the sea, and now home to only about 500 people.

Stone-vaulted medieval wine cellars lie beneath the streets, and volunteer-led guided tours run from spring to autumn.

The hilltop looks across the Brede Valley and Rye Bay to Dungeness, a view Turner and Millais painted, and Spike Milligan is buried in the churchyard.

Loved it?

Spotted something off? Report a problem

Know a day out we’re missing? Suggest a place