Pevensey Castle East Sussex

by Nigel Hewett
(Eastbourne, East Sussex)

A number of years ago myself and a group of friends decided to scare ourselves silly so we climbed the fence and went into the grounds of Pevensey Castle late at night.

After much waiting we were stunned to see a grey, dark grey shape walking along what I assume was a ledge on the inner side of the castle wall but there is no ledge and I suppose this has collapsed and vanished as it may have been made of wood.
The second time I experienced something, I was on my own and it was between 12.30 and 1am. I remember this well as I was on my way hopme from my friends. I stopped my motorcycle at the southern gate and sat on one of the large boulders to have a cigarette. The sky was clear and the moon was full and bright in the sky. I could clearly see across the enclosure between the outer walls and the walls of the castle proper. After about 10 mimutes I started to hear what can only be described as metallic chinking as though someone was walking and carrying chains. As I looked towards the sound (the Main Gate) I saw what I thought was movement but dismissed it as marsh fog. There was something that made me look again and this time I saw a group of about 12 Roman soldiers marching with their big shields and I could clearly make out that they were wearing metal helmets. As I watched they marched toward the small footbridge that leads inot the Castle and there they vanished.
I have been back many times late at nigh with the hope of seeing them again but have had the pleasure.
I do know that before the Castle was biult by the Normans just after the invasion in 1066, the ground was a fort that was biult by the Romans and that the fort was right on the edge of the Channel unlike today where the channel is about 2 miles away.