Journey to the Lost City of Winchelsea

A walk into England’s medieval history on the south coast in East Sussex. I did this walk on a whim really. I needed to break the spell of London temporarily, breathe a bit of hinterland magic. After my trip to Rye plenty of people in the comments suggested continuing along the beach to the ancient city of Winchelsea – now a small town but a place rich with history. But it’s a trip that nearly didn’t happen at all. I’d gone through the rituals of heading out on a long walk making me nostalgic for my backpacking years so so long ago but now thoroughly assimilated into my walking routines even for the most local stroll. So I was determined not to let train cancellations stand in my way. I stood at the bus stop outside Ashford International quietly fuming that the connecting train to Winchelsea had been cancelled. There was a certain poetry to the moment as I contemplated alternative routes feeling that Winchelsea was out of reach. And maybe this acceptance made the trains decide to run…