Winchelsea Court Hall Museum is a local museum in Winchelsea , East Sussex , southern England.
8-440: The Winchelsea Court Hall is one of the oldest buildings in the town, although it was extensively restored in the 19th century. The crown-post roof dates from the 15th century, with a medieval chimney. The museum itself is housed on the first floor of the building in the courtroom. The museum presents the history of the town of Winchelsea, including maps, models, pottery, and other displays. There are wall panels listing mayors of
16-563: A rotten borough . Its right to elect members of parliament was removed by the Reform Act 1832 . Despite objections from the local magistrates, the lock-up closed in 1879, and the ground floor was subsequently used as community event space. The borough council, which had met in the courtroom on the first floor, was abolished under the Municipal Corporations Act 1883 . The actress, Dame Ellen Terry , established
24-467: A stage school in the courtroom in the late 19th century. Since 1950, the courtroom has accommodated a small museum: one of the first accessions to the collection was a set of photographs of Winchelsea which were presented by Hastings Corporation. Subsequent accessions included artifacts associated with the Cinque Ports and archaeological specimens. Mayors of Winchelsea continue to be installed at
32-789: The Water Bailiff's Prison, is a municipal building in the High Street in Winchelsea , East Sussex , England. The structure, which is used as a museum , is a Grade I listed building . The first municipal building in Winchelsea was an ancient town hall in the Monday Market Square, just to the west of the Greyfriars Monastery , which was completed in the late 13th century. The current building
40-440: The first floor were fenestrated by mullioned windows. The right-hand bay contained an arched doorway with voussoirs and, to the left of the doorway, there was a small tripartite window. King Henry VII granted ownership of the building to Sir Edward Guildford following his appointment as bailiff of the town in 1506. The building was then held by subsequent bailiffs for the duration of their period in office. A lock-up for
48-471: The incarceration of petty criminals was established on the ground floor, and a courtroom, which featured a crown post roof, was created on the first floor. The building was subsequently extended to the east, but that extension was demolished in 1666. Winchelsea had a small electorate and a dominant patron, William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland , which meant it was recognised by the UK Parliament as
56-559: The town from 1295 onwards. The museum was established in 1950. One of the first accessions for the museum collection was a set of photographs of Winchelsea, presented by Hastings Corporation. Subsequent accessions have included artefacts associated with the Cinque Ports and archaeological items. This article relating to a museum in the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Winchelsea Court Hall Winchelsea Court Hall , formerly known as
64-530: Was commissioned as a private house for the Admiral of the Cinque Ports Fleet , Gervase Alard . It was designed in the medieval style , built in rubble masonry and was completed around the time that Alard became the first mayor of the town in 1294. The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage facing onto the High Street. The first two bays on the left on the ground floor and all three bays on
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