Old Winchelsea Town Wall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Winceleseia; Winchenesel; Winchelsay

In the civil parish of Icklesham.
In the historic county of Sussex (Modern Authority of East Sussex, 1974 county of East Sussex).

Vanished C13 stone walls of deserted and sea encroached town of Old Winchelsea. The exact location is uncertain. The walls may have been for sea defence. A great storm in 1250 probably breached the shingle spit on which the town was built, and by 1280 the town was mostly submerged.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Nothing visible remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ914177

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 618989

• Web site links
  • http://www.winchelsea.net/visiting/winchelsea_history.htm
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p262
    Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2