Icklesham

Icklesham's historic roots can be traced back to 772, when it appeared as Icoleshamme in a land charter signed by Offa, King of Mercia. Strategically located on the River Brede, it was a prime target in the Norman invasion of 1066 (some 700 years later, evacuation plans were prepared in case of an invasion by Napoleon). The 12th Century church of All Saints & St. Nicholas was restored by architect Samuel Sanders Teulon in the late 1840s. The church was originally dedicated to All Saints in the Norman period but was changed by Henry VIII to St. Nicolas. Nicholas is associated with protecting mariners, appropriate as Icklesham was still coastal at the time.