Winchelsea is a town in the non-metropolitan region of East Sussex, within the historic area of Sussex, England, situated in between the High Weald as well as the Romney Marsh, roughly 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) southern west of Rye and 7 miles (11 kilometres) north east of Hastings. The town bases on the site of a medieval community, established in 1288, to replace an earlier town of the same name, occasionally called Old Winchelsea, which was lost to coastal erosion. The community becomes part of the civil parish of Icklesham. It is claimed by some homeowners that the community remains in fact the tiniest community in Britain, as there is a mayor and also corporation in Winchelsea, yet that claim is disputed by locations such as Fordwich. The mayor of Winchelsea is chosen yearly from among the members of the corporation, that are referred to as freemen, as opposed to being elected by public vote. New freemen are themselves chosen by existing participants of the company. Hence, in its current type, the corporation is effectively a relic of Winchelsea's days as a 'rotten borough' (when Winchelsea chose two MPs yet the variety of citizens was restricted to concerning a lots, in some cases fewer). The corporation shed its remaining civil and judicial powers in 1886 however was protected as a charity by an Act of Parliament to maintain the subscription of the Cinque Port Confederation. The mayor as well as firm in Winchelsea now have a mainly ritualistic role, together with duty for the continuous care as well as upkeep of the main noted old monoliths in the community and the Winchelsea gallery. Winchelsea comprises neither a local government district, civil parish nor charter trustees area.
