Pevensey Castle
Latest Reviews
One would say it is only a huge ruin, but you can learn a lot there, starting with the Romans and Normans up to WWII when it was used as an observation point. The area between the inner and outer walls is accessible free throughout the year,there is an admission fee to the central part maintained by the English Heritage. Very nice views. Car park and public conveniences a few metres from the castle premises. The village itself is also picturesque.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We came on a lovely sunny day. We are english heritage members so did not have to pay. A fascinating ruin which was built inside old Roman walls and was then used in World war 2. We were pleased we could take the dog inside and the children that were there seemed to be having a good time exploring. There are dungeons and an ublette though some of these were flooded. Although now some distance from the sea this is where William the Conqueror landed. It was fairly quiet even in the easter holidays and very peaceful. It seemed strange to think that in the past it had been besieged 4 times.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
It is a ruin and that is ok because the size and scale is awesome. It seemed to be a popular dog walk and I guess the original inhabitants never thought about that! The location is quite nice and I can guess it is a popular place to visit in the summer. There is plenty of camping and car parks nearby. Take the kids for a picnic.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Free attraction to English Heritage members, otherwise a fee is payable.
This is a really interesting castle with its history spanning Roman times through to WW2. At face value when you can walk round the outside for free and see the Roman walls you wonder why you should go in the castle. Just do it ! Take the free audio tour as it really brings the castle alive - our kids who are primary age managed this really well. They loved the gory parts. Dungeon very spooky and apparently people have been touched on the shoulder whilst in there.
English Heritage staff very friendly and couldn't have done more to make the trip better.
Though no tea room on site the village, which is right where you park, has both a tea shop and a pub that does coffee
This is a really interesting castle with its history spanning Roman times through to WW2. At face value when you can walk round the outside for free and see the Roman walls you wonder why you should go in the castle. Just do it ! Take the free audio tour as it really brings the castle alive - our kids who are primary age managed this really well. They loved the gory parts. Dungeon very spooky and apparently people have been touched on the shoulder whilst in there.
English Heritage staff very friendly and couldn't have done more to make the trip better.
Though no tea room on site the village, which is right where you park, has both a tea shop and a pub that does coffee
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We visited on an overcast, chilly, blustery day, after a good lunch. This is a very interesting site, enjoyed after careful reading of the fulsome description of the castle in Wikipedia. There are at least three aspects to study, first the substantial change in sea level that has occurred since the Romans built the curtain wall of what was a Coastal fort some 2,000 years ago, second the Roman wall itself with its signature patterns of tile and flint, thirdly the Norman castle with its moat, keep and three dungeons, Sadly the castle is much in ruins, but it was besieged three times if not more. English Heritage provided a good audio guide free of charge. Car parking cost £2 for the day. Admission for three of us with a guide book (recommended) was under £20. Don't miss the huge trebuchet ammunition - I've not seen so much heavy calibre stuff anywhere else. We got blown about by the wind, but that all added to the atmosphere of the site - something of a blasted heath about it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Pevensey castle is worth a visit - not clearly signposted from road.
First part when you walk in to see outside walls is free, the inner part is chargeable as run by English heritage.
The gentleman in the kiosk come gift shop was very knowledgeable
An adult admission is £5.40 comes with a free audio guide.
A small display in one part of the history and some articles found on site.
You can visit the dungeons but they were flooded on the day of visit so no access.
A good brisk walk around and worth a visit
First part when you walk in to see outside walls is free, the inner part is chargeable as run by English heritage.
The gentleman in the kiosk come gift shop was very knowledgeable
An adult admission is £5.40 comes with a free audio guide.
A small display in one part of the history and some articles found on site.
You can visit the dungeons but they were flooded on the day of visit so no access.
A good brisk walk around and worth a visit
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
whilst not alot there the audio tour is well worth getting - its free as well. the shop is small but has some lovely bits and bobs for children as well as a good guide to the castle itself
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Steeped in history. Friendly Knowledgeable English Heritage staff. Well kept grounds. Whats not to like! They even have a cannon named The 'Pevensey Gun'.. AWESOME. Seriously recommend a visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
You must understand that there is not much left of what was a magnificent castle / fort. The ground it originally covered and the fact that the sea once upon a time came close to it's walls is hard to beleive. all the same, just looking at the walls gives you some idea.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Another important historic site in the fine custodianship of English Heritage, most of the grounds within the 3rd Century Roman walls are free to enter and explore. The very reasonable entrance charge for the castle within which dates from the Norman Conquest includes an audio guide.
There is a car park outside for a small charge, with adjacent conveniences.
The exhibition within one of the buildings was particularly interesting.
There is a small gift shop where you pay to go in.
Had a pleasant hour or so here with a slightly-handicapped friend when passing through the area and would have liked to have had more time and explored the area for longer.
This castle is similar in many ways to Portchester Castle in Hampshire, which I think slightly has the edge on this one as a visitor attraction. Very well worth visiting and should be on any 'to do' list for anyone interested in history.
There is a car park outside for a small charge, with adjacent conveniences.
The exhibition within one of the buildings was particularly interesting.
There is a small gift shop where you pay to go in.
Had a pleasant hour or so here with a slightly-handicapped friend when passing through the area and would have liked to have had more time and explored the area for longer.
This castle is similar in many ways to Portchester Castle in Hampshire, which I think slightly has the edge on this one as a visitor attraction. Very well worth visiting and should be on any 'to do' list for anyone interested in history.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Its nice to explore Pevensey Castle and see what it was far and its history. There is a very small exhibition and a few rooms that they can go into. The dungeon was flooded so we couldn't go down there.
I think we were there for 30 minutes, on a summers day with a nice picnic I am sure it would be more fun, but having said that the kids had a lot of fun.
I think we were there for 30 minutes, on a summers day with a nice picnic I am sure it would be more fun, but having said that the kids had a lot of fun.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Impressive ruin steeped in history. I would like to see more information about it and more pathways. That said- great views and lovely location.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
It looks great considering how long it's been there! I'm not entirely sure it's worth paying just over a fiver to look at a ruin though. I love how the walls all around are still standing but wish they'd re-dig the moat as it would look amazing. The grounds are huge and makes for a lovely walk.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We went to Pevensey Castle today having already looked up that you can take dogs on leads inside the castle ruins.
So we had a long journey and parked in the all day car park outside the castle walls and this cost £2 for all day.
Although it was a Saturday, it was cold and windy and so the place was virtually deserted. This made for excellent atmospherics, you can really imagine the soldiers, lords and siege takers in the castle.
We paid £5.20 per person, dog was free! And they have a free audio guide which was really good, it led you round to the points they talk about, although some of the instructions were a bit unclear at times. There is also an exhibition over 2 floors which gives more information which was very good.
One of the dungeons (the posh one) was shut due to flooding, but the other one gave a good idea about this awful section of the castle.
The views are amazing.
I highly recommend it although Im not sure it would be as good with tons of other people there.
So we had a long journey and parked in the all day car park outside the castle walls and this cost £2 for all day.
Although it was a Saturday, it was cold and windy and so the place was virtually deserted. This made for excellent atmospherics, you can really imagine the soldiers, lords and siege takers in the castle.
We paid £5.20 per person, dog was free! And they have a free audio guide which was really good, it led you round to the points they talk about, although some of the instructions were a bit unclear at times. There is also an exhibition over 2 floors which gives more information which was very good.
One of the dungeons (the posh one) was shut due to flooding, but the other one gave a good idea about this awful section of the castle.
The views are amazing.
I highly recommend it although Im not sure it would be as good with tons of other people there.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This castle has history coming out of its ears. The pleasant staff and great Audio Guide made the visit enjoyable and informative. Specific things to note from before William the Conqueror right through to the 2nd world war. And free to English Heritage members.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We visited Pevensey on a lovely sunny day in September 2014. As New Zealanders, we are so glad we did not miss this treasure, richly steeped in history and preserved so beautifully. The individual audio systems were well structured and clearly guided and described the general layout of the fortress and castle, as well as specific details about the lives of the historic occupants. It was incredible to consider that the coast line in Roman times was at the foot of the outer wall - now, the sea is many miles away due to ongoing erosion.This is an interestig historic site - not to be missed!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Having a very knowledgeable English Heritage Guide in attendance adds so much to the visit. It was quiet when we took our American friends and he took the time to speak to us all at length. I always thought that the castle dated from the Norman conquest but it is much older than that. My only (small) criticism would be that that the there could be more paths to avoid walking on the grass.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Lovely castle to visit and so much history in one place. Lady in the shop so sweet and patient with my girls and was very informative. You only need an hour to see everything but amazing as has been used by so many people from Romans to Willian the Conqueror and even during World War 2.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Pevensey castle is a hidden gem . Located along the cost from Hastings and Battle, most forget that the castle at Pevensey has been there since the Roman era. Managed by English Heritage, there are great views across the surrounding countryside, The walls from the various era are clear to see . The audio guide provided gives an interesting insight into life in the castle during the various stages of its life
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We visited Pevensey on the recommendation of others. We did not quite know what we were letting ourselves in for. What a great surprise!
The fact that this castle has over 1700 years of history, all on one site, is astounding. Romans, Normans, medieval bombardments, Tudor firepower and 20th century guns is a lot to take in. However, in spite of all that activity, the castle and its surrounds remains relatively free of intrusive interpretation panels and commercialisation. It's great!
Philip was on duty the day we visited. He has to be one of the best English Heritage staff members we have come across in all of UK. Friendly, interesting, courteous, patient and willing to chat. Well done, Philip!
The fact that this castle has over 1700 years of history, all on one site, is astounding. Romans, Normans, medieval bombardments, Tudor firepower and 20th century guns is a lot to take in. However, in spite of all that activity, the castle and its surrounds remains relatively free of intrusive interpretation panels and commercialisation. It's great!
Philip was on duty the day we visited. He has to be one of the best English Heritage staff members we have come across in all of UK. Friendly, interesting, courteous, patient and willing to chat. Well done, Philip!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This castle has a long a varied history, starting as a 3rd century Roman shore fort, then being adopted by the Normans as the first Norman castle before being used again in the 20th century as barracks and gun emplacement in the second world war. In between it's a place of peace. The Norman walls and moat are fairly well standing and several of the rooms on one tower are used as an exhibition space. The gun emplacements from the second world war are, for the most part, disguised within the fabric of the existing fort, such that it was less easy to see. The guidebook mentions that this disguise was deliberate, as was the decision to leave the alterations in place after the war, and I think that was the right decision to make - it may b a more modern history, bu it remains a link in the chain of the defence of this country over the centuries form invasion from the sea.
The guidebook is informative and the place is interesting and peaceful to visit.
The guidebook is informative and the place is interesting and peaceful to visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
stunning views and a true piece of history excellent feel to the place and a blessing for amateur photographers because of the essence and beauty of the Castle
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
What a great castle ruin. All 4 walls still standing with extensive grounds to have a wander around in. No rooms are still standing in the castle so its mainly all outside, there is a dungeon to get into though. An audio guide is available which is well worth getting, tell you all about william the conquerer and his invasion.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Having seen other peoples photos online I thought this would be a very quick trip and not that interesting. However, the castle ruins were beautiful allowing for great photographs, lots of grass in the interior for the children to run around and a great audio tour which made the visit last a lot longer than I expected. We visited in the middle of July, on a sunny day, in the middle of the day and there were not a lot of people there at all - very pleasant.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I visited here with 3 children aged 5-15 and they all loved it. It was raining when we were there so pretty empty but this was good as we had the run of the place :) The children loved running from room to room pretending to be knights and princesses! Unfortunately the dungeons where flooded due to the awful bank holiday rain so we were unable to go down there which was a shame. Its location is such that you feel miles away from anywhere and get a real sense of history. The children learnt a few things and we all had a lovely couple of hours despite the weather!
A few basics: parking is in a pay and display car park next to the castle and was only £2 for the whole day, the grounds outside the castle were large and would be great for a picnic if the weather was good! There is small gift shop selling bits n bobs at pretty expensive prices and the toilets are in the car park not the castle so be warned if u have a 5yr old that suddenly needs the loo like mine!
All in all a great trip out :)
A few basics: parking is in a pay and display car park next to the castle and was only £2 for the whole day, the grounds outside the castle were large and would be great for a picnic if the weather was good! There is small gift shop selling bits n bobs at pretty expensive prices and the toilets are in the car park not the castle so be warned if u have a 5yr old that suddenly needs the loo like mine!
All in all a great trip out :)
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
