The Winchelsea Arms (RamJam Inn)
For those interested in the history of
Winchelsea, the Winchelsea Arms is the former name of a very well-known Inn
on the A1 Great North Road in Rutland, The Ram Jam. The history of the
Winchelsea Arms is known in part from a pencil drawing by Samuel Henry Grimm in
1750, now located in the British Museum Library. It shows a humble ale-house with
accommodation for a pig. The Inn was known as the Winchelsea Arms because it
was part of the estate of Daniel Finch, Earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, who lived
nearby. The landlord at the time, Charles Blake, brewed his own ale, and a
special drink known as Ram Jam - believed to have been made from ale, eggs and
sugar. He advertised the product with a sign hung over the entrance, and over
time the Inn became known as the Ram Jam Inn, rather than its true name, the
Winchelsea Arms.