Talks are free to Society members and non-members are welcome at an admission charge of £5. Ample roadside parking is available within the town. Talks are generally timed to finish at 4pm but extra time for discussion has been allowed in respect of those to be held on 24th March and 3rd June.

Sunday 11th March 2.30pm St. Thomas Church, Winchelsea.
Kathleen Tyson, MA Medieval History (Merit), JD, FRSA
‘Sea Armies and Conquests of Britain; Bronze Age to 1066’
In researching the politics behind the Norman landing of 1066 Kathleen has delved back in to the Dark Ages and beyond and found evidence of successive and cohesive waves of invasion, exploitation and settlement in Britain by seaborne armies co-operating via pragmatic treaties and having common origins in eastern Europe.

Saturday 24th March 2.30pm New Hall, Winchelsea.
Round Table Talk by WAS member Terry Betson
‘Changes in the Brede valley through Medieval and Tudor times’
The river Brede and its valley dominated Winchelsea through medieval times. Terry has acquired much knowledge of the Brede from his longtime interest in the area and will share this in what is hoped will be a lively debate. Time is allowed for discussion and audience participation over tea/coffee/biscuits.

Sunday 8th April 2.30pm New Hall, Winchelsea.
Nathalie Cohen, BA MA FSA, National Trust Archaeologist London and South-east
Much of the archaeology in and around Winchelsea comes under the auspices of the National Trust and it is essential that local archaeological societies have an understanding of how they can best function within the Trust’s parameters. It is anticipated that Nathalie will expand on this theme and give an overview of the Town’s archaeological potential.

Saturday 21st April 2.30pm New Hall, Winchelsea.
Dr. Thomas Dhoop, Visiting Fellow in Archaeology, University of Southampton
‘Shaped by Ships and Storms: A Maritime Archaeology of Medieval Winchelsea’
Dr. Dhoop is a coastal scientist interested in interactions between humans and the sea. In this presentation he will approach New Winchelsea from the perspective of the sea and show that the aspects of seafaring and storminess are vital for understanding how the town was structured and how life was lived in its medieval heyday.

Saturday 12th May 2.30pm St. Thomas Church, Winchelsea.
Stephen Gray MSc Dip Arch APMP IHBC RIAS RIBA
‘Regional and Periodic Styles of Timber Framed Houses’
Historic buildings consultant, Stephen Gray, will illustrate the regional and periodic variations of such buildings and discuss how those variations can help in identifying different phases of alteration and extension in the same house.

Sunday 3rd June 2.30pm St. Thomas Church, Winchelsea.
Francis Harper, WAS member and professional geologist will discuss
‘Dating Techniques Applicable to Archaeology’
Knowing the date of human remains and artifacts, or the environment in which they occur, is key to understanding the past. Many dating techniques have been developed over the last hundred years or so and many more will be developed in the future as new ideas and measurement techniques become refined. This talk will provide an overview of many of these approaches, commenting on their applicability and limitations.