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WINCHELSEA 63
Well, or Ferry Gate on the road to Udimore, is a mere shapeless mass of grey old stone, near which a few dull houses straggle. It bears a shield with the word " Helde " inscribed upon it, supposed to be the name of the mayor during whose supremacy it was erected.
New Gate, on the Icklesham road, is a picturesque relic, and stands in a lovely nook which opens into a lane, whose banks, in the spring, are yellow with primroses.
In the centre of the town stands the Church— or all that remains of it—dedicated to St. Thomas a Becket. The nave is said to have been destroyed by the French in 1380 ; the chancel and side aisles are still extant. The style is Early Decorated, and from its purity deserves particular examination. Remark the exquisite fidelity of the sculptured foliage; the curious corbel heads; the rich foreign tracery of the side windows ; the piers of Bethersden marble and Caen stone; the sedilia in the chancel (recently restored) ; the Perpendicular English windows ; and the light and airy three-bayed choir.
To the south of the church is the entrance to " The Friars." This house was built over the ruins of a monastery in 1819. " The Friars " was the residence, in 1780, of two daring robbers, |
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