Roman Fort Anderitum (Pevensey Castle)

The military use of the area began around 293 AD under Allectus, to close a gap in the Saxon Shore fort chain. The fort, mentioned as Anderidos in the Notitia Dignitatum, served as protection against Germanic pirates. In 491 AD, Anderitum, by then transformed into a civilian settlement, was besieged and stormed by the Anglo-Saxons under Ælle and Cissa, resulting in the massacre of its inhabitants. King Harold Godwinson had a new fortress built here in 1042. After the Norman invasion in 1066, the site was granted to William's half-brother Robert de Mortain, who integrated the Roman walls into his new castle. Pevensey Castle was the scene of several sieges and was used militarily until the 20th century, most recently in 1942 as an anti-aircraft and observation post.