Winchelsea town gates

Winchelsea is that rare thing, a medieval new town, laid out from scratch on a grid on its hilltop by Edward I in the 1280s after the sea destroyed the old town on the marshes below. It was built as a port, though the harbour later silted up and the place never grew to fill its plan. Three of the stone gateways that guarded the approaches still stand: the Strand Gate on the eastern side, the Pipewell Gate, and the New Gate left out in open fields to the south. All three are free to see from the road at any time. The little town, its big part-ruined church and the village itself are worth a wander, and Rye is just across the valley.