The Cinque Ports: Ancient Towns, Rye & Winchelsea
Originally, the Cinque Ports were a confederation of five harbours, Sandwich, Romney, Dover, Hythe, and Hastings plus the two Ancient Towns of Rye & Winchelsea.
These were grouped together, for defense purposes, by Edward the Confessor. They supplied the Crown with ships and men.
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Ancient Towns of Rye & Winchelsea
Before 1247, Rye and Winchelsea belonged to a French monastry. Henry III decided this could be dangerous, so he negotiated an exchange of lands and the towns became Crown property.
Aswith the other Cinque Ports, the sea eventually receded. Today, Rye and Winchelsea are no longer major ports, but still retain their ancient character. The painting on the right, The Blind Girl: 1856 by John Everett Millais, shows a view of Winchelsea in the background.
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The Great Storm of 1287 submerged Old Winchelsea but changed the course of the River Rother from Romney to Rye. Rye prospered and continued to provide ships for the Crown Fleet for the next few hundred years. In 1573, Queen Elizabeth I was so impressed with the port, she gave it the title, Rye Royal.
Old Winchelsea, which was prospering before the storm, was eventually rebuilt on higher ground.