Guidebook: Pevensey Castle

The spectacular Roman walls of Pevensey Castle and its impressive medieval keep have been a landmark on the south Sussex coast for nearly 1,700 years. This new guidebook, with its up-to-date photography of the recently conserved walls and re-presented interiors and collections, gives a full tour and history of the site. Illustrated with new reconstructions based on the latest research, as well as historical images, and newly drawn maps and plans, the guidebook brings to life the events and people that gave Pevensey a key role in England’s story. A third-century Roman shore fort, built on what was once a peninsula extending into a bay, Pevensey was the landing place for the invasion force William, Duke of Normandy, in 1066 and thus the springboard for the Norman Conquest. Dynastic rivalries following the death of William led to the first of two sieges to grip the castle in the Middle Ages. Later it became a prison for Joan of Navarre, incarcerated by Henry V on trumped-up charges of witchcraft in an attempt to seize her wealth. From the 16th century the castle, with by then only a modest defensive role, began a slow slide to dilapidation, and by the 17th century it was ‘very much ruinated’. It came to be appreciated for this very quality in the centuries that followed, but was returned to military use in the Second World War when the castle was fortified to help defend the south coast in the event of a Nazi attack. In peacetime, Pevensey has been a much-loved historic monument, enjoyed by tourists and local residents alike. Key Features: Paperback Published: March 2020