Ad Pevensae: Pevensey Castle and the Norman Conquest’
Authors: Brodie, A. and Bowden, M.
Editors: Byrne, P. and Ellis, C.
Pages: 21-48
Publisher: Brepols
ISBN: 9782503602172
Abstract:Pevensey Castle, a late-third century Roman fortification, was the place where William the Conqueror landed in 1066, before moving on to Hastings to defeat King Harold’s forces. This paper describes the decaying state of the fort that the Normans encountered and describes how they immediately refortified part of the site using a rapidly created earthwork and palisade. It is argued that logically this temporary defence must have been replaced by a more substantial structure in the years immediately after 1066. A monumental stone keep was also constructed, probably in the early years after the conquest. This enigmatic structure, perhaps more symbolic than practical, echoed the bastions of the surrounding ancient fort and illustrates how the Normans sought to be recognised as all-powerful conquerors and as the military equals of the Romans a thousand years earlier.
Source: Manual