Winchelsea is a hidden gem, and is well worth visiting, even if it is for only a day. There is so much to see here, you could easily spend a week lost in this serene port town. Just wander around this beautiful Sussex village or seek out Winchelsea’s fascinating history by following one of our recommended walks.
Winchelsea is home to an assortment of animals, wildlife and various types of migratory birds. There are various organisations that take care of the flora and fauna of the region and allow locals and tourists to come and enjoy the fruits of this natural habitat. The Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is the largest organization operation on the Rye region of Winchelsea. Natural trust rangers also operate in the area and work with wildlife to conserve their natural habitat.
The Edwardian era covers the short reign of King Edward VII. It spans from 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended in both directions to capture long-term trends from the 1890s to the First World War. The untimely death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victorian era. This era was replete with beautiful architecture and various changes all across the British middle class. The changes in the everyday life of the people are quite apparent in the homes of this Era. The middle class grew and became more comfortable due the improvement in power and electricity. They also were able to save more money and build large homes for themselves with a smaller number of rooms but each one was more spacious and comfortable to live in. More people could stay in each as well due to the increase in size if required.
Edwardian architecture is an architectural style that gained popularity during the reign of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Architecture up to the year 1914 may also be included in this style as it had similar aspects to it.
Edwardian architecture is generally less fancy and ornate than late Victorian architecture, known as Edwardian Baroque architecture.
There were constructed during the period of 1910 and onwards. This style of architecture was popular for a number of years and took place during the reign of King Edward VII. He was the immediate successor of Queen Victoria.
Electricity became an easily available commodity during the Edwardian times. This also contributed to the rise in number of household servants. As the electricity was more regular and dependable people started living a better quality of life and investing in their housing structure more. The increase in servants was a by-product of this. More servants were happier to work in these homes as well because it was more comfortable for them as well.
Most houses of the Edwardian Era were 2 storey houses. These were partly detached from each other. Most houses had fewer rooms but they were large and spacious and made up for the fewer numbers.
Lighter colours were used to paint the houses; the use of gas and later electric lights caused designers to be less concerned about the need to disguise soot buildup on the walls as compared to Victorian era architecture.
Decorative patterns were simpler and less complex; both wallpaper and curtain designs were plainer in most cases.
There was less clutter than in the Victorian era. Ornaments were more grouped instead of being everywhere.
Winchelsea is a small, serene town brimming with character. You can spend days here and it is well worth exploring. The town’s got some delightful views and is right on the coast. The views are breathtaking and there a soft breeze that blows through all day. It’s got a pub and a motel and they both provide accommodation and two meals a day. There’s even a coffee shop to sit at and a curl up with your book for a couple of hours while you sip a warm cuppa. The town gates are a relic of that past but add so much character to the architecture of Winchelsea. The church of St Thomas is a medieval gem and is another stop of your tour of town and there’s a well-curated museum attached to it. The grave of the much-loved comedian Spike Lee is housed in the churchyard and has visitors all year. The town mainly runs on tourism with hotels, restaurants, and travel and leisure services being responsible for the majority of employment in the town. This being said, the economy of Winchelsea is quite healthy and growing with a variety of organisations that have propped up over the years.
The Rye Jazz festival is now in its 7 year of the festival. It’s been touted as one of the best festivals of its kind in the UK and is attended by jazz and music lovers from all over the UK and surrounding regions. This year, the world-class artists that will be performing, will be doing so in the ethereal setting of the St Mary’s Church, which is situated in Rye. The festival would like to highlight the various medieval buildings and artifacts that dot the city and town square. From the humble beginnings of a medieval market town to being recognized as the jewel on the south coast of England, Rye has come a long way. It is a beautiful town that has survived the many changes that it has gone through over the years. There is an incredible charm and mystic that the town possesses, and it rubs on to everyone that visits this wonderful town.
The festival programme was also extended into early September with two special concerts, with an entirely different concept, taking place at the iconic De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea on. The festival was also proud to have two concert hall artists Corinne Bailey Rae and Dionne Warick perform with us this year. We’ve never done something like this before and were excited about these new offerings.
The 2018 festival launched with ‘Funky Friday’. The rain gods were not very kind and not even the outpouring from the skies could dampen spirits. Dom Pipkin & the Ikos opened the evening and the party kept on going with Hardlines performing next. There were on-going live broadcasts from our festival media partners BBC South East and BBC Sussex Radio that kept the chatter constant and the public updated with interviews, live updates etc.
Critically acclaimed British Soul singer Tony Momrelle kicked off the festival’s headline concerts at St Mary’s Church on Saturday 25 August. He performed a mesmerizing afternoon show with his incredible band that left the audience in raptures. Tony has had a career that has spanned twenty long years. The guardian has compared him to Stevie Wonder and that’s no small feat.
Courtney Pine the world-famous jazz saxophonist and composer performed his new show ‘the House of Legends’ this past Sunday, the 26th of August.
Another act to remember was the The Ronnie Scott’s Blues Explosion. They played an afternoon concert on Monday at the iconic St Mary’s venue. The crowd was swaying and grooving to their tunes all night. They looked like a band in full flow and definitely at the top of their game.
The festival organizers have some very exciting plans for the future and are hoping to announce some very special Christmas concerts at St Mary’s Church this December. The festival will be conducting a heartwarming Christmas concert with the singer, recording artists and much-loved TV presenter Aled Jones. He will be performing from his wide repertoire of songs and from his latest album ‘One Voice’ along with a selection of seasonal classics to get us all in that infectious Christmas Spirit. Who doesn’t like a good carol sing along during Christmas after all?
The 16-piece Fidelity International choir will be playing some of their mesmerizing pieces along with the special and unique talent, mezzo soprano singer Danielle Thomas. Her bold voice and clear vocals along with her unbelievable range will be something we can’t for! She her debut on BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise’ and sang Rick Wakeman’s arrangement of the song ‘Morning has Broken’. and will be a night to remember.
The Rye Jazz Fetival 2018 was a roaring success and with all the multi-talented musicians across the various genres that we were able to showcase, we can’t wait for edition 8. We’ve already started planning for the Rye Jazz Festival 2019 and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever. Thank you for all the love and support and we look forward to seeing you next year!
The Strand House- The owners of the lodge, Mary and Hugh have built a strong reputation for both good accommodation and excellent food. They’ve been doing this for a long time and it apparent in their service. In 2009, Strand house received a Gold Award from Visit Britain for high levels of service. This is in all probability, the best accommodation in Winchelsea. It’s located at the foot of Strand Hill, almost opposite the Bridge Inn. There is even a footpath that leads into the citadel. This is best-rated property in the area and is at the top of any list you will come across. The Strand House has been the sitting pretty as the best bed and breakfast in Winchelsea for the last 5 years. With the service and quality, they provide, their run looks set to continue.
The Lodge at Winchelsea – This contains 28 modern Ten-suite bedrooms and is situated at the bottom of the hill as one approaches Winchelsea. It is widely used by residents to house large parties or gathering like wedding receptions tec. Free WiFi is provided and ample parking is available.
