Greyfriars is a country estate in Winchelsea, East Sussex, England. It contains a ruined medieval monastery and church and a 19th-century house.
History
A house for the Order of Friars Minor was established in Winchelsea Old Town by 1242. The friary moved to its current location in 1285, after the order purchased Шаблон:Convert from John Bone of Wickham, on the site of the new town.[1] It became an important site as Winchelsea flourished as a port in the Middle Ages, but usage declined after the mid-14th century. It was sold during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538 in a state of disrepair, and was used as a barn for some years afterwards. It was listed as a scheduled monument in 1915, and is one of the best surviving instances of Franciscan architecture in England.[1]
The surviving remains include a full-height choir, a portion of the north aisle's east wall, and a section of the south wall. A doorway was added onto the north wall around the 17th century.[1] The friary church's chancel, constructed around 1310–1320, has also partially survived.[2]
The country house was built in 1819 by Richard Stileman in a Gothic style. It replaced an earlier lodging house on the same site.[1] The house is on the southern edge of the town, adjacent to the friary. In the late 20th century, ownership passed to East Sussex County Council who used it as a day care centre, before being sold to private hands in 2000. In 2015, it was put on the market for £4.5 million.[3] It was Grade II listed in 1987.[4]
Cultural references
The house is referred to in a never-finished William Makepeace Thackeray novel as the home of the Weston brothers, a group of highwaymen.[3]
