PEVENSEY BAY

Pevensey Bay’s place in history was assured in 1066 when it was used as the landing place for William The Conquerer who, taking advantage of the fact that King Harold was otherwise engaged in fighting an invasion in the north, leaving this part of the British coast relatively defenceless, arrived here with the intention of laying claim to the English crown. Another chapter in the history of Pevensey remains in the form of Pevensey Castle, whose outer walls were built by the Romans as a defence against Saxon invaders.

The village of Pevensey, a short distance inland, was given short shrift in a description published in 1844 in “The Cottager’s friend, and guide of the young”: “It was once formidable for its castle, and useful for its harbour; but is now a mere village, with three or four hundred inhabitants, a choked-up port, and a castle in ruins.” In fact, the marshes surrounding the village are an undisturbed home for wildlife, and the Pevensey Marshes Nature Reserve where birds to look out for include wigeon and teal during the winter, short-eared owl, hen harrier and redshank, as well as insects such as the fen raft spider.  The village itself has some charming old buildings and a haunted pub dating from 1527 called the Royal Oak and Castle, where phantom footsteps and the unexplained smell of perfume have been experienced.  There have also been fun and games in a particular room where occupants have experienced weight on their legs and the sense of the duvet being pulled back.

Map of the area.

Pevensey Bay looking east towards Normans Bay - geograph.org.uk - 1093697. Photo by Kevin Gordon, via Wikimedia Commons