Deep blue sky seen through gaping holes in 13th century gatehouse tower that controlled access to the inner bailey of Pevensey Castle in East Sussex, England, UK, built by the Normans within the walls of the Late Roman coastal fortress of Anderitum.
Pevensey, East Sussex, England, UK: the deep blue of a cloudless sky shows through ragged gaping holes in the ruined stonework of the early-13th century northern gatehouse tower of Pevensey Castle’s inner bailey, above a water-filled moat spanned by a modern wooden bridge. The D-shaped towers flanking the entrance, now robbed of much facing stone, were built on three levels, lit by arrow slits, with basements below. The moat, once more than 18 metres (59 ft) wide, was originally crossed by a bridge, but it was replaced in 1405 by a stone causeway and drawbridge. The inner bailey, defended by a curtain wall and further towers, was closed to the east by a formidable keep with seven towers. It may once have been about 25 m (82 ft) high, but now survives only to first floor level. The inner bailey stands inside the massive walls of the fort of Anderitum, built from 290 to 340 AD to defend the southern coast of the Roman province of Britannia against barbarian attacks. It was abandoned when the Romans left Britain and was in ruins when William the Conqueror’s army landed at Pevensey Bay in 1066. The Normans camped within the Roman walls before marching to defeat the English at the Battle of Hastings. The Normans fulfilled Pevensey’s strategic potential as a stronghold surrounded on three sides by the sea and marshland. William’s half-brother, Robert de Mortain, repaired the Roman walls, dug the moat inside them and built fortifications in earth and wood, later replaced in stone. Pevensey Castle was besieged several times in the Norman era and was never successfully stormed. It was abandoned in the 1500s and was an overgrown ruin before becoming public property in 1925. During World War Two, it was garrisoned by Allied troops, with machine-gun posts built into both the Roman and medieval walls. The castle is now in the care of English Heritage.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Pevensey Castle, Pevensey, East Sussex, England, UK.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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