At the end of the third century the Roman province of Britain was suffering attacks from Saxon raiders. To counter this threat the Romans built a series of stone forts along the east and south coasts of England including at Pevensey in East Sussex. There were nine in all and were known as the ‘Saxon Shore Forts‘.
The Roman Fort
Built around AD 293 the fort at Pevensey was constructed on a peninsula that jutted out into coastal marshes. Unlike the normal ‘playing card’ shape of Roman forts, Pevensey was built in an oval shape to fit the contours of the peninsular.
The Romans named the fort Anderida and their records state that it was garrisoned by auxiliary units of the Roman Army. When the Romans left Britain in the early fifth century the fort was abandoned and not much seems to have happened until 491 when according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, invading Saxons massacred a number of Britons at the site.
The Norman Invasion
In September 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, landed at Pevensey and occupied the fort before moving on to defeat Harold at the Battle of Hastings. After the conquest William granted Pevensey to his half-brother Robert, Count of Mortain. He made a number of repairs to the largely intact Roman walls and built a small castle in the south-east corner constructed first of a palisaded bank and ditch and later in stone.
In 1088 the Count of Mortain and his brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, rebelled against the new King, William II. William laid siege to the castle and after six weeks the rebel garrison surrendered when food supplies ran out.
The castle endured a second siege in 1147 during the civil war between Stephen and Matilda. Once again it was the King - Stephen - who did the besieging and once again the castle fell because of lack of food.
The Medieval Castle
During the first half of the 13th Century most of the towers and the walls that we see today were built and the castle would have been an impressive fortress. In 1264 Henry III was defeated by Simon De Montfort at the Battle of Lewes and a number of Henry’s supporters fled from the battlefield to Pevensey castle, pursued by Simon De Montfort’s son.
The besiegers cut off the castle’s food supplies but this time the garrison was replenished by sea and the siege had to be abandoned.
The fourth and final siege occurred in 1399 in the reign of Richard II. The castle was held by Sir John Pelham a supporter of Henry, Duke of Lancaster, who had challenged Richard for the throne. While Sir John was away serving in the Duke’s army, Richard laid siege to Pevensey which was stoutly defended by Lady Joan Pelham, Sir John’s wife, until relieved.
A Tudor Gun Emplacement
As the medieval period progressed the coastline gradually receded and the military value of the site declined accordingly.
By the early 1500s the castle had been abandoned but in 1587 it was reoccupied to help counter the threat from the Spanish Armada. A Tudor gun emplacement was built within the Roman walls which can still be seen today.
World War Two Defences
Following defeat of the Spanish Armada the castle was left to quietly crumble away. Then, during the Second World War, the castle was once again defending the Sussex coast from foreign invaders as an observation and command post.
It was occupied throughout the war by British, Canadian and US troops and as part if its new defences a number of machine-gun pillboxes were cunningly built into the Roman and medieval walls and made to look like original parts of the castle.
The Castle Today
Pevensey castle is today in the care of English Heritage and well worth a visit. The Roman and medieval remains are extensive and the Second World War pillboxes have also been preserved; testimony to a long and proud history defending the English coastline.
Sources:
Sir Charles Peers, Pevensey Castle Official Guidebook, (HMSO, 1970)
Andrew Pearson, The Roman Shore Forts, (Tempus, 2002)
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