Who we are and what we do

WAS was set up in 1999 by residents, with the encouragement of the East Sussex County Archaeologist, to undertake a comprehensive geophysical survey of the buried remains of medieval Winchelsea. Surprisingly, given the international archaeological importance of Winchelsea, very little of the town had been geophysically surveyed or excavated prior to 1999 (in fact, there had been seven excavations and five resistivity surveys, all of limited areas). The principal objective of WAS is therefore to provide the physical evidence needed by archaeologists to reconstruct a detailed layout of the 13th century town and test current hypotheses about the medieval town.

WAS undertakes other research. Since 2005, it been assisting the National Trust in a project to sort and interpret the mass of broken pottery dug out of the cellar under Blackfriars Barn, possibly the largest assemblage of domestic pottery in the country outside of pottery sites. Between May 2007 and March 2010, 50 dustbins full of pottery sherds were sorted and classified by WAS volunteers. The next stage of the project has just begun.

Volunteers clearing Blackfriars Barn

WAS is working to improve public access to the archaeological and historical literature on Winchelsea. It is currently assembling a local archive of documents, including archaeological evaluations, surveys and excavations. We have started by compiling a summary and interactive maps of all the archaeology that has been done in Winchelsea to date.

In order to foster public support for the conservation of Winchelsea's archaeology, WAS tries to ensure that the importance of the local heritage is more widely recognised. The Society organises lectures and other events focused on local history and archaeology, and has been involved in a number of visitor information projects, such as the Winchelsea E-Guide. Members of WAS conduct guided tours of Winchelsea's archaeology, notably of the medieval wine vaults --- Winchelsea has more than any other place in the country, with the possible exceptions of Norwich and Southamption --- between May and October for the public and for private groups such as other archaeological societies. In May 2010, WAS hosted a very successful two-day conference, Revisiting New Towns of the Middle Ages, which brought together some of the leading experts on medieval urbansim in Winchelsea.

WAS is delighted to assist visiting archaeologists. In 2003, it helped a team of archaeologists and geographers from Queens University Belfast in their pilot study of the planning of the new towns established by Edward I in England and Wales. More recently, it hosted a group of students from Sheffield University. WAS also co-operates with other local archaeological societies, including the Romney Marsh Research Trust, the Hastings Area Archaeological Research Group and the Lenham Archaeological Society.

Since 2007, WAS has conducted non-commercial archaeological watching briefs on small development sites in Winchelsea. It also acts as a collection point for small archaeological finds made in the village (eg pottery sherds) and has become the depository for archives from local excavations. WAS is currently undertaking a survey of Spring Steps, and background research, in support of work by the County Council to re-open this old footpath.

The Society has increasingly become involved in planning issues, where there are threats to local archaeology or a failure by the local planning authority to protect that archaeology. WAS was invited by the local planning authority to comment on the draft Winchelsea Conservation Area Appraisal and submitted a response in January 2008.

In August 2011, WAS became a registered charity (1143524).

WAS surveys

WAS conducts geophysical surveys using its own resistance meter. This was purchased in 2002 with a lottery grant from Awards for All. The meter detects underground features by measuring the resistance to an electrical current flowing between fixed and movable electrodes. The movable electrodes are carried on a frame which looks not unlike a Zimmer Frame!

A team at work in Truncheons Field

Dry features such as stone foundations resist the flow of current; wet features such as filled-in ditches and cellars facilitate the flow. By placing the movable electrodes on the ground at a succession of points in a 20x20 grid, with each point one metre apart, a pattern of electrical readings is recorded. The readings are then processed on special software to produce a matrix of different shades showing the outline of what is under the ground. An example is shown below.

Resistivity plot of the northern half of Truncheons Field

In 2006, WAS started to commission surveys with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) of areas that have had resistivity surveys. The first GPR survey was of the claustral area of Greyfriars monastery. The results were very exciting and have revealed a quite different layout to the one extracted from documentary sources and surveys of scorch marks (see the right-hand panel). WAS uses the services of Arrow Geophysics of East Dean, who have been pioneering more rapid and affordable GPR technology specifically for archaeology.

To date, WAS has completed geophysical surveys of:

• Pipewell Field (the site of the Blackfriars Monastery)
• field by the New Gate (the site of Bartholomew's Hospital)
• proposed site of a public tennis court behind the New Hall
• Truncheons Field (Quarters 24 and 29 of the medieval town)
• garden of Eastwoods on Tanyard Lane (the site of the port) --- surveyed by auger.
• Greyfriars garden (monastery site) --- resistivity and GPR. 
• St Giles Close (site of St Giles Church).
• A private garden in Mill Road.
• St Leonards Marsh.
• A topological survey of the Cricket Field in advance of a resistivity survey.

In 2007, WAS undertook its first excavation in the form of an exploratory trench across what was hoped to have been a foundation wall of St Giles Church.

How you can help

You can also support our work by joining WAS. Membership is open to anyone, whether or not they wish to take part in survey work. Membership costs just £5. Download a subscription form, or call us via the Winchelsea Community Answerphone on 01797 225333 and we will send you one. Read our constitution and check our latest accounts. Members are kept in touch with regular newsletters, which include articles of local interest.

WAS can be contacted via the Winchelsea Community Answerphone on 01797-225333 or directly at was@winchelsea.net.