Pevensey Castle | Where the Norman Conquest Began

Hi everyone, Adie here from Hans and John's. As always, thank you so much for clicking on The video. Today I'm in the deepest, darkest Sussex, and I'm at Pevensey Castle. Now this was built back in 290 AD. Yes, you heard me correctly—290 AD. It was a Roman fortress and it was used all the way up until the Second World War, and it was also where William the Conqueror and his army spent the night before they marched on to Hastings in 1066 for the great battle. So let's go and Take a look around. Walking through the grounds today on this beautiful summer's day, it's hard to imagine that this peaceful place once witnessed some of the most important events in English history History, because this isn't just another medieval castle. This is where England changed forever. Now long before these medieval walls were built, long before knights, kings, and sieges, this was already an ancient place whose story stretches back nearly 2,000 years. The Romans arrived here around the late 3rd century, at a time when Britain faced increasing attacks from Saxon pirates crossing the Channel and to defend the coastline, they built a series of enormous forts known as The Saxon Shore forts. Pevensey was then called Andoretium and it became one of the largest. The walls they built were astonishing, and some still stand today, and I will show you those at the end of the video. They are nine meters high and several meters thick. They have survived almost 1,700 years of weather, warfare, and neglect. Today Pevensey Castle lies inland, but during Roman times This area would have been surrounded by water and marshland, which created a natural defense. island. Now any enemy ships would have found it extremely difficult to approach the castle. unnoticed, but even after the Romans eventually left Britain around AD 410, those massive stones The walls remained empty, silent, and waiting for history to return—and return it certainly did. And perhaps the most famous moment in the castle's long history occurred in September 1066. William, Duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel with an invasion fleet. taught to number around 700 ships and after what must have been a very anxious crossing His army landed nearby, and many historians believe that William himself came ashore. just a short distance from where I'm standing now in the castle. So can you imagine the scene hundreds of ships, thousands of soldiers, horses being unloaded, weapons, armor, supplies an entire invasion force arriving on English soil, and although it's difficult for us to picture that today this quiet corner of Sussex suddenly became the center of one of history's the most famous military campaigns, and the locals must have been absolutely terrified to have seen All of them arrived near their homes. William and his forces quickly occupied the old Roman fort. Even after six centuries, these ancient walls still offered them some valuable protection. and from here William began his march inland. Less than three weeks later the Battle of Hastings took place. King Harold was killed and William became William the Conqueror, and England would will never be the same again, and it's fascinating to think that everything leading up to that famous The battle began right here, and thousands of visitors head to Hastings every year. I have actually been to battle, and you'll find that video on my channel if you're interested, and that's said. be where the battle took place, although that is disputed by many historians today. Following the conquest, William recognized just how strategically important this castle remained. and rather than demolish the Roman fort, the Normans cleverly built an entirely new stone castle, but they did it inside the old Roman walls, so instead of starting from scratch, they used the ancient Roman defenses that had already stood the test of time, and it really is remarkable combination of two completely different eras: Roman engineering surrounding Norman military architecture and nearly a thousand years separating the two yet both still stand together today, and as we walk through the grounds, it's almost like walking through many layers of history. There's Roman Britain followed by Anglo-Saxon England, the Norman conquest, the Middle Ages all existing in this one place and the Norman keep that once dominated the center of the castle, and although now it's largely ruined, it would originally have been an imposing symbol of Norman authority, a clear message to anyone who questioned William's rule. The castle did not simply became a royal residence, it became an important military fortress, and over the centuries It has witnessed numerous sieges, and one of the most famous occurred in 1088. Following William the The emperor's death threw England into political turmoil. Supporters of William's eldest son rebelled. against the new king William Rufus, and Pevensey Castle here became one of the key strongholds. in the rebellion, royal forces surrounded the castle, and the siege dragged on for weeks. food supplies inevitably began to run low. The defenders became increasingly desperate but Finally, starvation forced them to surrender, and it is remarkable how often castles, when defeated, through dramatic battles, victory quite often came simply from waiting, and the castle continued to evolve throughout the medieval period. These new towers were added, the gatehouses were strengthened and defenses were improved so that each generation adapted here to meet new military challenges. threats. I'm walking around today, and we can still spot evidence of these changes if you look carefully. There's different stonework, some blocked-up doorways, and alterations that have been made. centuries apart. It's almost like reading a history book carved in stone, and one thing I what always fascinates me about visiting places like this is trying to imagine what everyday life was like would have been like for ordinary people. We often think about kings and battles. But castles were communities in themselves. I think of the soldiers who stood guard. through freezing winter nights, the blacksmiths who would have repaired the armor, the servants who would have labored and prepared meals over open fires. There would have been families, children of the workers playing within these walls, messengers coming and going carrying urgent news and merchants arriving with supplies, and let's not forget about the chapel and the priests who would have conducted services and life would have continued here even when there was not Any war going on? Thousands upon thousands of ordinary lives unfolded here, and most of them have been completely forgotten. I'm just now heading into the exhibition. It's permanent. exhibition here at the castle and it's really interesting. Now if it is of interest to you, I'm I'm going to briefly pause at each information board so you can pause the video and read if you wish to do so, and if you're not interested, then you can just fast forward through this bit. During the 13th century Pevensey Castle briefly became associated with one of England's most dramatic political prisoners, as King Henry III imprisoned Simon de Montfort's son here following the Second Barons' War. So the castle's thick walls weren't just designed to keep enemies out, but also to withstand sieges and internal uprisings. out, sometimes they were used to keep important prisoners in, and later during the Hundred Years War again threatened England from France. Pevensey found itself back on the front line. again. Its coastal location once again made it highly strategically valuable, so additional repairs strengthened the aging fortress, and despite many centuries passing, military technology was changing, and castles gradually became less effective against powerful artillery and cannons. completely transformed warfare, so that the walls that at once seemed indestructible suddenly became vulnerable. Like so many medieval castles across Britain, Pevensey slowly lost its military significance. importance and nature gradually reclaimed parts of the site. Roofs disappeared, buildings collapsed and stone was reused elsewhere. Centuries of changing fortunes and many would have thought that marked the end of Pevensey and its military history but remarkably, it found itself serving Britain once again during the Second World War. So nearly Nine hundred years after William the Conqueror had landed nearby, another invasion threatened England. but this time it was Nazi Germany and the castle once again became part of Britain's coastal defense defences. I'm going to head in in a moment to another display which is all about Pevensey and the role it played in World War II, so please pause at each of the information boards if you'd like a more detailed explanation about exactly what went on here during the Second World War War. I'll give you a brief overview so they installed machine gun positions and concrete. pillboxes here on the site, and they were done remarkably well because they're camouflaged and they actually look like they're part of the castle, and I loved looking at these photographs aren't they remarkable? So please do pause if you're interested and have a look, and I do Wonder about all these men and how many of them never came home. Troops actually occupied this. ancient site. History had come full circle, and just as the Roman soldiers once watched the coastline Modern British soldiers did exactly the same thing, but they were separated by almost 17. Centuries later, they were still performing remarkably similar duties, and I find that truly extraordinary. There are very few places I can think of that can claim such an unbroken military history stretching from From Roman Britain to the 20th century. I might be wrong about that, but please do let me know. comments if there are any other sites around Britain that have such an extensive unbroken military history. One of the things that makes Pevensey Castle feel so special isn't just its History is the fact that so much of it is still standing right here in front of us. The Roman walls here have stood for almost 1700 years. They've witnessed the end of Roman Britain, the arrival of the Saxons, William the Conqueror's invasion, medieval sieges, civil unrest, and even preparations for another possible invasion during the Second World War, and as I said Very few places in England can tell such a long and remarkable story. As I wander around the castle today it's easy to focus on the ruined towers and the medieval buildings but for me It was truly the Roman walls that quietly stole the show. Stone by stone, they outlived emperors. kings, kingdoms, generations of people who could never have imagined they'd still be standing here Nearly two millennia later. It's quite a humbling thought, but it also completely blows my mind. And I truly never take it for granted. I feel like it's a genuine privilege to live here. and being able to go out and explore these wonderful places, and for me, growing up, I always thought of history as something distant, locked away in books or museums, and I found it incredibly boring, but for me, walking alongside it really does bring it to life. To run my hand stand where a Roman soldier once stood, across the very same stone, and where Norman knights once stood and to be able to look out across that landscape that has witnessed some of the most important moments in English history and to think about all those boats that would have arrived The fact that William the Conqueror existed all those centuries ago just completely blows my mind. I think Pevensley is one of the best castles I have visited in England, and it's truly remarkable. left a lasting impression on me. It's not because it's the biggest castle or the grandest, but it's It has survived century after century and has simply remained watching history unfold around it. and as I take one last walk alongside these remarkable Roman walls, it's hard not to wonder what they would say if they could speak, what stories have been lost to time, and how many Thousands of people have passed this way before us, and how many more will stand here in the centuries still to come. I do hope you enjoyed our visit to Pevensley Castle, wasn't it a Fascinating place, and if you could, please like, subscribe, and hit the like button, hit the notification bell so you'll be informed when the next one is published. I really would Thanks for it, and there's also a high button down below, all free but it really helps. the channel out and I just want to take the opportunity if you've made it this far to say Thank you so much for watching; it truly means everything to me. Starting this channel has changed my life, and I'm not being dramatic—so anyway, I'm going to wrap it up now. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you for the next one. Bye for now!