But
the oldest and the most important of the three hospitals was that of
St John. A fragment of this remains where the road turns towards
Hastings to the north of the churchyard. Close by is the thirteenth-
century Court House.
It is always with regret I leave Winchelsea when I must, and even the
beautiful road through Icklesham into Hastings will not reconcile one
who has known how to love this place, to departure. And yet how fair
that road is and how fair is the Norman church of St Nicholas at
Icklesham upon the way! The road winds up over the low shore towards
Fairlight, ever before one, and at last as one goes up Guestling Hill
through a whole long afternoon and reaches the King's Head Inn at
sunset, suddenly across the smoke of Hastings one sees Pevensey Level,
and beyond, the hills where fell the great fight in which William Duke
of Normandy disputed for England with Harold the King. At sunset, when
all that country is half lost in the approaching darkness, one seems to
feel again the tragedy of that day so fortunate after all, in which
once more we were brought back into the full life of Europe and renewed
with the energy Rome had stored in Gaul.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203