Pevensey History

Built by the Romans in approximately AD 290, Pevensey Castle has seen its fair share of turbulent history and change of ownership.

Known as the Anderida, a Saxon shore fort between 300 and 340, Pevensey castle was continuously under attack from barbarian tribes. The original fort was built on an area of land, which was risen above the costal marshes.

During the Saxon era, Kind Aelle and his invaders burnt the fort to the ground and its British inhabitants fled to the North. After this violent attack the site was abandoned for 600 years until 1042 when the future King Harold II decided that the castle would be a good strong point against invading forces and set about improving fortifications by digging various ditches within the old Roman fort. On the 28th September 1066, William Duke of Normandy and his troops landed at Pevensey. Meeting little resistance they set up a temporary camp inside the fort and from this camp they used it to rest and plan the Battle of Hastings. After defeating Harold II in this famous battle, King William gave the castle to his half brother Robert Count of Mordain. Mordain built a stone keep and bailey fortress within the Roman’s fort structure and repaired any damage to the walls. Continuous building work occurred in the 13th Century when a moat and drawbridge were added. In this century, the gatehouse, which is seen today, was also built.

With Mordain’s strengthening of the castle, it became a good defensive stronghold and survived sieges by William Rufus in 1088 and in 1147 by King Stephen. During the siege by King John in 1216, the castle was badly damaged but because of its good defensive area it was rebuilt and remained in use until the 15th Century. During this time, the castle was left in the hands of many famous British families, one of which was the Pelham’s in 1394, who had lands in East Sussex in areas such as Laughton.

In the 15th Century, the castle acted as a prison, which was to be its general last usage, and after the prison was closed it remained unoccupied until times of war, when its defensive position made it a good ally against possible invasion. In 1588 the castle was used as a gun emplacement during the threat of the Spanish Armada and during the Second World War it was used by American and Canadian troops, who were stationed there, to protect the area against shore landings. Its last owner, the Duke of Devonshire in 1925, passed the castle to the Nation and now the castle is managed by English Heritage and can be visited all year round.

The ghosts of Pevensey Castle

Like most castles and places of violent history, Pevensey itself is no exception and has its fair share of ghost stories. It is known that there are some, which are classified as legends that were created by the smugglers of luxury goods such as cigars and alcohol in order to cover their tracks. However, despite this, there are many eyewitness accounts from people in the Westham and Pevensey areas of ghost sightings. The most famous sighting is that of the Lady in White. This apparition has appeared many times in the land surrounding the castle. One such time during the summer a group of campers were putting up their tents in a field next to the grounds. One member of the group stood looking at the view and saw what he thought was an old lady dressed in a long white coat and appeared to be gliding instead of walking towards the castle. The camper talked to the others who all witnessed the event and as they watched, they saw the lady float right through a wooden fence. The group followed the apparition and when they caught up she had disappeared into an area of bushes and when they searched it she could not be found. The group then packed up and left the area as quickly as possible.

A Grey Lady has been seen inside the castle pacing up and down on one of the parapets. It is of some confusion of who she may be. Some believe that the Grey Lady is the ghost of Lady Joan Pelham. Her husband was constable of the castle in 1394. During his control he was called away with his army to assist with the battle in the North of the country and Lady Pelham was left in charge of the castle. Words spread that the castle was largely undefended and an army attempted to invade the castle and demanded that its inhabitance surrender in the name of King Richard II. Lady Pelham stood her ground and refused to surrender. Her husband returned and she survived the ordeal but because of the huge stress that was put upon her it is believed that this is why her ghost haunts the battlements.

On the other hand, others believe that it is the ghost of Queen Joan of Navarre who was the wife of Henry IV. At one point she was charged falsely with witchcraft by a friar and was imprisoned at the castle under the custody of Sir John Pelham in 1419. Eventually she was released from her prison when her stepson Henry V reprieved her from his deathbed.

A Roman centurion has also been seen marching on the battlements and a ghost of a drummer boy is believed to be beating out the alarm of a Saxon invasion. Other apparitions in the area of the castle include a black monk, and noises including marching sounds of soldiers and screams and moans which possibly could be of dying men in relation to the famous battle of Hastings.

Pevensey Castle History

The ghosts of Pevensey Castle