Tours of Greyfriars Monastery in Winchelsea

Site of Winchelsea monastery revealed
16 June 2008
Rye & Battle Observer


There was a fascinating glimpse of hidden Winchelsea at the weekend when the outline of the original Greyfriars Monastery was revealed. Winchelsea Archaeological Society ran the first of its innovative tours of the buried remains of major medieval buildings on Sunday.

Using research, some of which was conducted by the Society itself, the outlines of the demolished nave and bell tower of St Thomas's Church, and of the buildings of the lost monasteries of the Greyfriars and Blackfriars, were laid out on the ground. Visitors were walked around the sites by members of the Society, who explained their architecture, use and history. The Society will be repeating the Hidden Winchelsea tours at 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday The cost is £5 a head and advance booking is advised. Call 01797-225333.

The Society will also be running more Under Winchelsea tours of the town's famous cellars at 11:00am on Saturday and Sunday. The tours are part of Winchelsea History Week, which includes a lecture tonight (Friday), by the Romney Marsh Research Trust on the evolution of the Cinque Port coast.

There is a concert of medieval music at St Thomas's Church on Monday, while the Living History Weekend takes place on Saturday June 28 and Sunday 29. Details are available on the Winchelsea website www.winchelsea.net.

The Winchelsea Archaeological Society was founded by a group of residents in 1999 to conduct a complete geophysical survey of the remains of medieval Winchelsea. Despite its international archaeological importance, few sites in Winchelsea have been surveyed geophysically. The Society uses a special survey tool called a resistivity meter that detects how easily an electrical current passes through the subsoil.

The Society was able to purchase its own survey tool with a grant from Awards for All, the Lottery-funded scheme for small community projects. Volunteers work under the supervision of the County Archaeologist, Dr Casper Johnson, and under licence from English Heritage