Sussex Ghost Walks (45 minute car; 3 hours 45 walk) Done
(14.Mar.10) 5*
Details
Starting
Point
Wincheslea village centre
Time
3 hours 45
Distance
9-12 miles
Ghostly Rating
10
Introduction
This is a fairly long walk around the river Brede, and the surrounding wetlands. Each of the towns and villages visited was formerly standing on an island surrounded by marshes although the marshes have now been drained to provide farmland the land is still damp and can be muddy after rain.
Conditions
walk is mostly over established foot paths or country lanes with just one
section across open land there are a couple of short steep hills but no
difficult terrain refreshments there are numerous pubs cafes and snack bars
in wry with shops selling snacks in Wincheslea.
The Walk
Find your way to the churchyard at Wincheslea
The town of Wincheslea is one of the ancient Cinque Ports, a mediaeval
trade organisation of ports traded with frock is in its day this was a leading
mercantile organisation which was both enormously wealthy and politically
powerful. The office of warden of the Cinque Ports is now no longer a position
of much importance but it is highly sought after as it carries with it much
prestige precedence at formal events and a rather nice official residence.
It is in the gift of the monarch and it is generally given in recognition
of services rendered.
In 1283 Wincheslea was completely rebuilt on a bluff overlooking a new
harbour on the river Brede. The size and importance of the port can be measured
by the distance between the current village and the surrounding mediaeval
walls. The harbour has long since silted up and Wincheslea is no longer
a port.
Te first ghost to be found in the churchyard however does not seem to notice.
The phantom monk walks into the churchyard from the South crosses the grass
without taking any notice of the tombstones through which it glides and
approaches the main church door where it vanishes. This provision must date
back to the days when what is now the Church of St Thomas the apostle was
the central building in an extensive friary. The friary was closed by King
Henry VIII in the 16th century at a time when Wincheslea was losing its
prosperity. The local parishioners clubbed together to buy the friary church
to be their parish church but could not afford all of the large structure
what is seen today is merely the chancel of the original.
A second ghost can be seen lurking by the large tree stands besides
the churchyard gate. This is a phantom highwayman who waited here to ambush
wealthy travellers on the road from Rye to Hastings. He came to a bad end
however being shot down by a gentleman who proved to be as well-armed and
courageous as he was rich.
Leave the churchyard and head south along German street which becomes
the aptly named monks walk.
At one point the motor traffic is directed to the right but ignore this
sign and follow the lane straight across fields and downhill.
You will pass under one of the mediaeval town gates showing just how
extensive the old town was.
Our route winds past Wickham Manor, a National trust property, and Jordan
farm.
A windmill comes into view on the right after which turn right into workhouse
Lane that runs west.
Ignore a turning on the left.
The road emerges on to the main A259 at a crossroads.
It is here that a ghostly soldier has been seen dressed in the uniform
of first world war days. Nobody seems to know who he might be. He walks
with his head bowed, towards the village pond where he vanishes. There are
no records or stories of any local man drowning in the pond. So the purpose
that keeps this quiet warrior in Rye remains a mystery.
Cross straight over the main road into Parsonage Lane, where the lane
turns left.
A drive straight on is signposted to the Queen's head pub
This pub is reputed to be halted by a former landlord by the name of
George Gutsell who died here in 1890, after having been landlord to over
half a century. His wake was held here, at his body laid out in a coffin
to 3 days so that locals could pay their respects. His ghost appears in
the bar, sitting by the fire, nursing a quiet pint and looking around. He
can be recognised by his sideburns and full moustache, unusual in this day
and age. Presumably he is keeping an eye on his part to make sure that all
is well.
On the far side of the pub car park, cross a stile and go down a steepish
hill to a pair of gates visible at the bottom of the slope.
Go over a stile by the right hand gate keeping a wide ditch on your left.
Walk along the edge of the ditch to cross to fields leaving by way of
a broken stile beside a gate and cross ditch via a bridge.
Continue straight on over and other field to a stile.
Then another field to a further style.
Beyond the style is the main line railway, which must be crossed with
care, by way of a pedestrian level crossing
Beyond the rail lines, cross style and cross a short stretch of grass
to reach a narrow pedestrian bridge over the main river.
Beyond the bridge cross a field being used against to enter another field.
Leave this field by the style visible on the far side and emerge into
a lane beside farm buildings.
Turn right.
Follow this lane for almost 2 miles until the lane turns sharp left and
climbs a steep hill.
Instead of turning left.
Continue straight on along the path signed 1066 country walk.
This path takes you into Rye town, emerging into Ferry Road beside the
railway.
Turn right along Ferry Road to cross the river and climb the hill to
turn left into Cinque Ports Street.
Take the first right, then turn left into the high Street
At number 24 is white Vine house. This elegant hotel has several ghosts
of which the most active is a child who goes by the name of William. He
scampers about the hotel, often running along corridors and up and down
the stairs. He is heard as frequently as he is seen and seems to date back
over 100 years.
The present building has existed since 1560, but there has been a house
on this site from probably around 1200. The place is famous for its dining
with the restaurant serving some of the best food and wine in this corner
of England
The other ghost that appears with any regularity is a thirty-something
lady, straight out of a Jane Austen novel in the summer of 2005. A couple
of guests have finished dinner and were in the clubroom enjoying coffee.
The manager was talking to the male guest about the weather and local places
to visit. When his wife, who had already claimed to be spiritually inclined,
through her late grandmother, who was a medium, interrupted to say that
she could see a Georgian lady standing by the inglenook fireplace and had
been having a silent conversation with her. Neither the husband nor the
manager could see anything. Apparently, the Georgian lady was wearing a
long russet coloured skirt with a white collared blouse. She announced to
the lady guest that she felt very much at home at white Vine house, and
heartily approved of the recent refurbishment and restoration works. She
was gentle and mild-mannered and said she did not intend to frighten or
alarm anyone.
Leave the white Vine house and head east along the high Street, turning
right into East street.
The Union inn is on your left. Like the white Vine house this park has
a child ghost. This time, it is a little girl, rather than a boy. She see
is a quiet inoffensive soul, dressed in a country smock and wearing a straw
hat. She appears often, but never for very long and is gone almost as soon
as she is noticed. In 1994, a reporter from the local newspaper called to
do a story about the coached the front door slammed in his face by unseen
hands
Follow the road as it bends to the right straight in front of you is
Lions Street
This road is haunted by an elderly man in an old-fashioned coat, who
walks with stooped shoulders and a stick. His identity is unknown
Turn left before entering Lions Street, heading south.
Then right into Church Square, that becomes Watchbell Street
This street is the haunt of a small boy, who runs with bare feet and
wearing ragged trousers. He is thought to be a small boy from Church Square.
Always considered a step down socially from Watchbell Street, who was run
down by a carriage in the more exclusive, cobbled lane
At the end of Watchbel Street on the right is lamb house. This was for
some years between 1897 and 1915. The home of Henry James, wrote several
of his better-known works here. James later claimed that the ghost of an
elderly lady visited him often and helped him with his writing.
More recently, the property has been plagued by some spirit, who moves
objects and hides things, much to the irritation of the humans who frequent
the place
Turn right, then right again into mermaid Street
Mermaid Street is dominated by the ancient mermaid Hotel. The earliest
record of the scheme was made in 1300 when it charged one-penny nights lodging
and brewed its own beer.
The first mermaid was burnt by the French during the raid at 1377, and
only the cellar survives by 1420 in had been rebuilt, and it has not changed
much since. Famously, the stone used to make the fireplaces came from the
ballast of French ships attacked and sunk in 1378, when the men of Rye attacked
St Pierre-en-Port, near Dieppe to retrieve their stolen church bells
The mermaid has over the years served as headquarters for both the county
council and for the notorious Hawkhurst gang of smugglers. It has played
host to King George the first Rupert Brooke and Richard Aldington. Hardly
surprising it has picked up a few ghosts along the way
The most famous of the ghosts are those of the phantom duellists who fight
in room 16. A luxury suite is known as the elusive beef and chamber. There
have been frequent disturbances in October here, and the man in hose carrying
a sword is seen about this time. Only rarely, however, does the ghost duel
take place in all its terrible violence. The apparitions to men in Tudor
stream spring subtly into view, stabbing and slashing at each other with
sorts. After a few seconds, one man for instead with a sword through his
chest and Victor then hurriedly, and also the body into the narrow hidden
staircase in the corner of the room, then he vanishes the stairs lead down
to the bar though the passage is usually kept locked as the ancient steps
are tricky to negotiate. A sudden thump has sometimes been heard here. Presumably
it is the noise of a falling body of the unfortunate man upstairs
The other ghost seen here with any frequency, is the lady in white, who
appears in various parts of the building, but has a special liking for room
17, room five, room one in the downstairs area. She likes sitting beside
the fire in room one, but elsewhere, police is gently through. It is thought
that she was a girl who lived and worked here in the mid 18th century. She
fell in love with one of the smugglers who frequented the aim. In those
days, but was murdered by his colleagues when she talked too much about
their exploits
A final ghost does not appear often. He is the phantom man of 10 who appears
in the bathroom as if shaving or brushing his teeth in the sink. One guest
who saw the ghost in 2002 30 chamber in his pyjamas at 11 PM. He refused
to return and insisted that the night porter move his things to another
room
Leaving the mermaid head west along the main street and downhill to
the A259 as it runs along the foot of the hill
cross the bridge following the road around to the left
the road and curves right
As it straightens out, turn left down harbour road that crosses the canal
almost immediately, the Royal military canal path is signed off to the right
alongside the canal.
Follow this path along the canal.
Then as there's left to run close to the ruins of camber Castle then
back to the right along a bridle path to rejoin the canal at Castle farm
where the path meets a lane
turn right along Sea Road talkback to Wincheslea.