Page:VCH Sussex 1.djvu/550

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A HISTORY OF SUSSEX Pevensey is remarkable for its magnificent specimens of Roman walls of coursed and faced masonry, and its south-western gateway. The actual earthworks of the place are mainly on the southern side, and consist of a fairly well developed fosse extending from the west corner of the mediaeval stronghold three-fourths of the way to the great Roman gate- way/ Unfortunately this ditch has been considerably disturbed by a species of minor landslip carrying down with it large pieces of the Roman wall. Pevensey was probably occupied by William the Conqueror at an early period, like Hastings Castle. The massive walls built by the Ro- mans were utilized to form the boundary of the castle bailey. The moat outside of this castle was probably constructed as an additional security, thus making it impossible to blow up the masonry by gunpowder or to damage it by means of the battering-ram. CASTLE MOUNTS AND CASTLE MOUNTS WITH ATTACHED COURTS [Classes D and E] For purposes of convenience these two classes will be considered together. Their characteristics are : (i) D, Forts consisting only of a mount with encircling ditch or fosse ; and (2) E, Fortified mounts either artificial or partly natural, with traces of an attached court or bailey, or of two or more such courts. Of Class D, Sussex possesses two ex- amples, namely, Knepp Castle and Park Mount, Pulborough. Knepp Castle, in Shipley parish, oc- cupies a low-lying site close to the river Adur. It consists, as will be seen from the plan, of little more than a mount, oval in plan, and surrounded by a fosse and ram- part. Park Mount, Pulborough. — This, like Knepp, is a simple mount encircled by a fosse, and strengthened by an enclosing Knepp Castle. rampart on the east, south and west sides. The mount itself has been considerably disturbed on the west side, where probably the material has been purposely removed. The whole place is ^ There is a good account of the remains of Pevensey Castle in the sixth volume of the Susj. Arch. Coll. The paper, which was written by Mr. Mark Antony Lower, F.S.A., is accompanied by a ground- plan, and is entitled ' On Pevensey Castle, and the recent excavations there.' 472