Berkhamsted Castle | Pevensey Castle

Berkhamsted Castle

Pevensey Castle

Pevensey Castle
Pevensey, East Sussex

Pevensey Castle is a large fortification on the south coast of England, around 10 miles (16km) west of Hastings. Originally a Roman fort, it was occupied after the Battle of Hastings and rebuilt in the 1070s by the Normans, for whom it became strategically important in their subjugation of England.

The reconstruction works were led by Robert, Count of Mortain, the half-brother of William of Normandy who was also responsible for the construction of Berkhamsted Castle.

There are many similarities between the castles at Pevensey and Berkhamsted. Many of the stone structures still standing today date from the mid/late 12th century, roughly contemporary with the building works carried out at Berkhamsted Castle in the 1150s  by Thomas Becket. Like Berkhamsted, Pevensey was besieged by Prince Louis of France in 1216 during the First Barons’ War.

Despite the ravages of war and stone-robbing, some 13th-century ashlar stone facing survives intact, and offers visitors an interesting comparison with the Berkhamsted ruins.

The site of Pevensey Castle today is a Scheduled Monument in the care of English Heritage.

 

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