A little known town is one of the smallest in Britain but boasts stunning seaside views, lovely sandy beaches and just 600 residents - and some incredible traditions.
Winchelsea is just 5 miles south of the Kent border and it's a hidden treasure by the sea. It has lovely sandy beaches and only 600 people live there, making it a very special place in the UK. Even though it's tiny, Winchelsea still keeps up an old tradition that's over 700 years old - they have their own mayor and group of important people. The "freemen of Winchelsea" have a big ceremony to pick who will be in charge.
RightMove says that houses in Winchelsea cost about £910,000 on average last year. Most of the homes sold were detached houses, and they went for around £872,500. Overall, sold prices in Winchelsea over the last year were 47% up on the previous year and 64% up on the 2020 peak of £555,850.
Winchelsea has a lot of history and some famous people have lived there. Kent Live helps us find out more about this lovely town:
Unique history
The Normans thought Winchelsea was a very important place because it's right by the sea. It used to be a harbour that helped protect the south coast.
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It was also part of the Cinque Port Federation, which included some towns in Kent like Sandwich.
Being so important, the Royal Charter in 1155 gave Winchelsea a host of special privileges. These included not having to pay taxes and tolls, being able to arrest and lock up crooks, and looking after itself. This marked the beginning of a long, proud tradition and it all still stands true today, making it pretty special.
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Winchelsea has town status despite only having a population of 600 (Wikimedia Commons)Despite only about 12 people living there, Winchelsea was historically so respected that until 1832, it sent two MPs to the House of Commons!
Big cities like Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool weren't even able to send any MPs then.
Who are some famous locals?
Spike Milligan - a telly actor who made loads of people laugh on The Goon Show - is buried in the churchyard in Winchelsea. His gravestone says: "Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite", which is Irish for "I told you I was ill".
Ford Madox Ford also lived here. He invited famous author Joseph Conrad to stay with him in a farmhouse he owned.
That's where Conrad wrote 'Heart of Darkness', a big book that was later turned into a massive film called Apocalypse Now.
The smallest town?
The smallest town in Britain is actually Fordwich in Kent. It's really close to the River Stour near Canterbury, and only 381 people live there.
They take this title off Winchelsea by just a smidgen,.
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However, because Fordwich lost its town status in 1882 and doesn't have a mayor or council, some folk still think Winchelsea is the smallest town.
What can you do there?
Winchelsea is a town full of history, with lots of old buildings that are still standing. You can walk around places like the big churchyard.
The town has some really cool underground cellars called undercrofts. There are 33 of them you can see on tours.
They're mostly in the part of town closest to the river Brede. You can see the tops of them from above, but they look much better when you go underneath.
Not far from there is Winchelsea beach. It's a quiet place with wooden posts in the sand and views of Camber and Dungeness.
Spike Milligan's grave (Martin Burton/SussexLive)There are great walks to do around here. Someone wrote this about the beach: "One for walkers, body board surfers and kite flyers. A mainly shingle beach, unless the tide is out, it doesn't have many things going for it, but one one thing it does tend to have is space. It's not easily accessible by car and there's hardly any parking anyway, only one concrete toilet block and one cafe.
"But the upshot is not many people. It is mainly utilised by those holidaying in Winchelsea Sands and Winchelsea beach park, and the local dog walkers and body board surfers who know what time to go and what time to park."
TripAdvisor says the top thing to do in Winchelsea is visit Charles Palmer Vineyards. It's a family-run place where they make their own wine.
People really like it there. One commeter wrote: "Fabulous cheese and wine tasting with the wonderful Chantelle. Wonderful wines, delicious cheeses and lots of fascinating information. Try it!".
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