East Surrey Morris Men will be dancing in Castle Street, Winchelsea from 5pm on Sunday 27th May. All are welcome at this Bank Holiday event which is sponsored by Winchelsea Guy Fawkes Society.
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.
The 2018 season at Winchelsea Museum starts on Tuesday 1st May and continues until 28th October
Tuesday to Saturday: 12 noon – 4pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays: 1:30 – 4:30pm.
Admission: Adults £1:50 (accompanied children free)
The Court Hall Museum contains displays and exhibits that illustrate the history of the ‘Antient Town of Winchelsea’. The museum is housed in a single large room on the first floor of the Court Hall, located in the High Street, which is one of the oldest buildings in the town. Exhibits include maps, models, pictures, seals, local pottery and items of daily life from the area.
Visit the Museum web pages for more information
The Winchelsea open gardens season got off to a flying start on 14th April.
The sun finally shone and at long last it seemed okay to risk an afternoon out. Five hundred visitors turned up to see the six gardens that opened for the National Garden Scheme and almost £3,000 was raised for the NGS beneficiaries – mostly cancer nursing charities. Garden owners bemoaned the fact that several favourite plants were still refusing to show because of the spring chill but in fact there was plenty to admire. People were even seen eating ice cream, surely a first for 2018.
Teas this year were laid on by the Friends of the Conquest Hospital as part of their fundraising efforts for the MRI Scanner Appeal and £800 was raised for this good cause as well. Friends of the Ancient Monuments laid on a tour of the town’s famous medieval cellars in the morning and there was plenty to explore over and above the gardens themselves.
St Michael’s Hospice come to town on 1st May and the big NGS opening of the year will be on Saturday 16th June when eleven gardens will be on show. There will be cellar tours then as well, as there are on several weekends through the season. If you haven’t been on one yet, check out the dates at winchelsea.com. Money raised from the tours helps fund the maintenance of the town’s medieval gates and Court Hall. Click here to book a Cellar Tour
