Blackfriars Barn and Cellar

Originally built beneath a 14th century guildhall, the medieval undercroft here holds clues to our distant past. During excavations to remove rubbish accumulated during the 18th and 19th centuries, National Trust archeologists discovered a lost fleet of ships inscribed into the plastered walls. Fingerprints are also visible.

With the loss of the guildhall to French raids, the building was left to slowly rot. Much later a barn was built on the site but this was lost to fire leaving the ruin we see today. It's free to wander the barn perimeter but access to the cellar has been halted due to ongoing decay. You can find Blackfriars on the A259, just past the village hall, as it skirts around Winchelsea.