Strand House, Winchelsea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Strand House, Winchelsea |
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| Old Poor Houses | |
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| Type | Sussex hall house |
| Location | Winchelsea |
| OS grid reference | TQ 90747 17530 |
| Area | East Sussex |
| Built | 1425 |
| Architectural style(s) | Timber framed |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: The Strand House | |
| Designated | 3 August 1961 |
| Reference no. | 1234818 |
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Strand House is a very old building in the town of Winchelsea in Sussex, England. For many years, it was known as the "Old Poor Houses" because it served as the town's Workhouse. It stands near an area called The Strand.
Contents
Winchelsea's History
In the 1200s, the old town of Winchelsea was one of England's busiest ports. It was especially important for trading wine from a region called Gascony. However, the old town was eventually lost to the sea.
A new town of Winchelsea was planned in 1283. It was designed like a European bastides town. This new town was meant to be a busy place for importing wine. The port moved to a flat area below the cliffs, along a place called The Strand.
This was a river port, located at the mouth of the River Brede. The river flowed into a large lagoon, which was protected from the open Channel by a sandbar. A road called Strand Hill connected the port to the town. This road went through Strand Gate to the market square.
Strand House: A Long History
Strand House was built around 1425. It stands near where the old port used to be, at the bottom of Strand Hill. People think it was built behind the old Fish Market. Parts of its stone walls might have come from older storage buildings in the port area.
The house was likely built as a large farmhouse. This was probably done by the church to farm the land. This happened as the port became less busy and the sea moved further away. A smaller house, now called "The Crow's Nest," was built behind Strand House. It was a traditional timber-framed Sussex Hall house.
From Farmhouse to Workhouse
As Winchelsea's port declined, the town became much smaller. By 1565, only 109 families lived there, compared to over 500 in the 1300s. Because of this decline, Strand House likely became the town's workhouse after 1530.
A workhouse was a place where poor people who could not support themselves could live and work. The earliest record of Strand House being used as a workhouse is from 1777. A report from that year said it could house 24 people.
Letters from the early 1800s also talk about the workhouse. For example, a letter from 1823 mentions a man applying to be the master of the poorhouse in Winchelsea.
The End of the Workhouse Era
In 1834, a new law called the Poor Law Amendment Act changed how poor people were helped. Because of this law, many small local workhouses were closed. Larger workhouses were built to serve several towns together.
The Rye Poor Law Union was created in 1835. This union included Winchelsea and 11 other towns. A new, bigger workhouse was built for this union in Rye. It could hold 436 people and opened in 1845.
After the new workhouse opened, Strand House was sold. It became a farm, which included Strand House, Crow's Nest Cottage, and other buildings. Census records show it remained a farm until the early 1900s. In 1922, two sisters bought the property. They sold off the other buildings, keeping only Strand House and the Crow's Nest. They turned the houses into a guest house, which it still is today.
How Strand House Was Built
Strand House was built around 1425. It is a two-story building made with a timber frame. The east wall has plaster between the wooden beams, showing the timber frame. The front of the ground floor is made of red brick, with tiles covering the upper part.
The east side of the south wing and the ground floor of the south front are built with stone rubble. The upper parts of these sections are covered with tiles. The house has casement windows, a chimney from the 1600s, and a tiled roof with an attic. It also has a dormer window and three other windows.
The Crow's Nest Cottage
Next to Strand House is the Crow's Nest Cottage. This two-story timber-framed building was built around the 1600s or even earlier. It has plaster filling between its wooden beams, a tiled roof, and casement windows. The front of the cottage was later covered with weatherboarding.
The Crow's Nest is an example of a "House with an Open Hall." It shows a building style called "close-studding." This was a decorative way of framing buildings, often used on the side facing the street. Less decorative framing was used on the back of the building. This style became common in Sussex from about 1450.
Strand House in Art
Strand House appears in a sketchbook by the famous artist Joseph Mallord William Turner. This sketch, made around 1816-19, is called "Winchelsea; the Workhouse and Strand Gate."
Turner later created a painting from this sketch, titled "Winchelsea, Sussex, Soldiers on the March c.1828." This painting shows soldiers marching up Strand Hill. Some people are sitting in the front of the picture. Soldiers were stationed in Winchelsea during the Napoleonic Wars. They helped guard the coast and the Royal Military Canal. This area was also known for smugglers, and soldiers often helped the coastguards deal with them. Turner likely saw these soldiers when he visited Winchelsea in 1816.
