Pevensey Castle
Pevensey Castle is located in the centre of the village of Pevensey, 5 miles from Eastbourne in the south east of England.
The ruins of Pevensey Castle are found within the walls of a Roman Fort, one of the largest remaining examples of its kind.
The majority of the walls and towers are still standing at almost their original height in a shape which follows that of the peninsular. The castle site consists of a keep, bailey and twin towered gatehouse all surrounded by a curtain wall.
Facilities
Open to the public every day from 10am between April and October and during weekends only November to March. The entrance to the fort is free but a small charge payable for entry into the castle.
An audio tour is available outlining the story of the castle and an exhibition with artifacts that were found on the site. There is also a tearoom where refreshments are available.
The extremely well preserved Roman fort dates back to 290 AD and in the eastern corner the fort Robert of Mortain; half brother to William the Conqueror, built a stone keep and bailey enclosure castle.
The site had been abandoned for over 600 years, but only minor repairs were needed to the walls that formed the outer bailey. A twin towered gatehouse and curtain wall were also added before the castle was granted Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt.
At the beginning of the 1500's the sea had receded considerably and the castle was no longer considered useful. It was left abandoned once more until 1588 when it was strengthened and gun ports added to help defend against the invasion from the Spanish Armada. The castle was next refortified during World War II when a command post and observation platform were added and is now in the care of English Heritage.