Pevensey Castle
Pevensey Castle things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Pevensey Castle is the ruin of a fortification that goes back all the way to the Roman invasion of England, with additions/modifications made from William the Conqueror to WWII. It must have been a very impressive sight back then, and there's enough of that left to justify a trip to Pevensey Bay. If you visit by train, be aware that connections along the Hastings to Brighton line are few and far between on the day, with two connections in either direction in the morning, and two in the middle of the afternoon. So plan your visit carefully. The castle is now being maintained by National Trust, the ticket will cost you UKP 6.90 for an adult (concessions available). Expect to spend 1-2 hours on the premises. You can walk the grounds of the castle for free, only the access to the "inside" is charged. As to be expected, no real "rooms" of the castle proper still exist, but you'll get access to a couple of towers (since those were restored for use in WW2). There's a small exhibition on the history of the castle, which is rather nice. Would have been even nicer had I not had the misfortune of a teenage student group visiting the castle at the same time. Ugh, teenagers. Double ugh, British teenagers. Anyway, I certainly enjoyed the trip own history lane, the clerk at the entrance was very helpful too - plus an audio guide is included with the ticket. Which proved to be very informative, even if the narration at certain points of interest went on and on and on. ;) I finished within one hour, which was the same time spent on the premises by those teenagers. All in all, if you happen to be in Eastbourne or Hastings, it's totally worth the trip. And if you're caught in Pevensey for some hours more, as I was, make sure to walk up to the beautiful seafront, enjoy Fish and Chips from Rosie's Fish Bar, and just unwind.
Thomas Müthing (theviolinproject.de)Thomas Müthing (theviolinproject.de)
20
Took our 6 year old grandson to see the castle and we had a great time! He loved wandering around the ruins and exploring the grounds, dungeons and other rooms available. There's not actually that much to do, but if you're interested in the history of the castle there are a few information boards on the major exhibits and a couple of exhibit rooms detailing some medieval artifacts and about when the castle was used by troops in the war. We took a picnic with us and a had it in the grounds of the castle, so spent a good 4 hours there in total. Without kids, you'd probably be done within a couple of hours. Its not particularly expensive to get in but then it shouldn't be considering what little is on offer to see and do. The shop sells an assortment of souvenirs and toys, as well as water and beer! If you want a coffee or real food then there's a pub and tea house near the entrance. As others have noted there are no toilets in the grounds, or bins either for that matter. There's a public toilet block near the car park, a 5 minute walk from the inner castle grounds, but it's pretty rundown and manky. If you need to go then you'll go, but they really could do better in this regard. The car park costs £2 to stay all day, which goes towards the castle upkeep. Fair enough. Pevensey Bay is a 5 minute drive away, we visited and found a shingle beach and not a lot else, but worth a visit afterwards for an hour or so, to throw some pebbles in the sea or just pass some time. All in all an enjoyable day out, particularly if you have younger kids.
Kev GKev G
00
Possibly the oldest & best preserved Roman walls in Britain. Originally built in the late 3rd century AD as a Roman coastal defence fortress, back then, it was positioned on a peninsula surrounded by the sea, over time, marsh land surrounding it has silted up making it land locked. The fort was later used by Saxon invaders & later still, by William of Normandy who added extra fortifications to the castle, it was at Pevensey William landed prior to the Battle of Hastings. A fantastic castle/fortress to explore, (kids will love it), big kids too. Managed by English Heritage, booking in advance will save a little money, of course, if you're a member, you enter for free. There is a small shop inside the castle which is also where you pay. Just outside the outer Roman wall at the entrance, you'll find an outstanding cafe/tearoom which I highly recommend as I do this excellent castle. Note, parking next to the castle is pay & display.
Jim StringerJim Stringer
00
Visited Bodiam Castle in the morning/early afternoon and came here after. There's a (charged) parking lot just next to the entrance. NT members can visit for free. The castle has a long history. Starting as early as the 4th Century! Then being landing place of William the Conquerer and then in WWII as an emergency stronghold. It's a wonderful castle, even though at some parts quite collapsed. But you're able to see some dungeons, walk on the walls and see a recreation of a '40s commanders office. There's lots to see, lots of information to read. Staff here was really helpful and friendly. And our Bulldog was allowed in as well. A very nice visit. Quite surprising that there were only a handful of visitors that (cloudy, but dry) day. The grounds outside the castle are nice for a short walk as well.
Alex HaasAlex Haas
10
What a fantastic audio tour! We are English Heritage members so we didn't have to pay an entry fee but with this trip to Pevensey and Battle Abbey not so far away we certainly have had our moneys worth already this year! If you are taking a dog please note, there is only one poo bin as you enter the site from the pub car park entry. So we had to carry it round the entire site as there wasn't any other bins. Small little shop on site with limited food or drink options so please be prepared and take your own. The lady behind the desk was so helpful and polite, especially when audio point 11 didn't work she then gave her own version of it for the kids! We finished off our trip with a drive in to Pevensey Bay for fish and chips from Rose's which were nice and we sat and ate them on the beach 👍
Amy KAmy K
00
🏰🔱🪖The sheer amount of history on display is crazy. The outer wall is all original 290 Roman brickwork and takes up half the village, the roads and houses wrap round it. 🚶👣🆓You can walk around and inside the remaining perimeter wall for no charge. It's grass inside and paths around it. This is also the best way to spot the WWii fortifications. English Heritage have focused their paid for attractions inside the latest 1200 upgrade to the main keep. It's an impressive structure in it's own right with towers, drawbridge and moat. We paid about £24 for a family ticket, and spent a couple of hours looking round. The audio guide is good and the staff really helpful. I don't mind paying to see everything, after all the whole site is massive and EH conserves it all to a high standard.
DavidDavid
30
Nearby Attractions Of Pevensey Castle
Castle Cottage Tearoom
Pevensey Court House Museum & Gaol

Castle Cottage Tearoom
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Pevensey Court House Museum & Gaol
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Nearby Restaurants Of Pevensey Castle
Smugglers Restaurant
The Royal Oak & Castle
The Heron
Simply Seafood
Starbucks Coffee
Wild Bean Cafe

Smugglers Restaurant
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The Royal Oak & Castle
4.4
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The Heron
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Simply Seafood
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Basic Info
Address
Castle Rd, Westham, Pevensey BN24 5LE, United Kingdom
Map
Phone
+44 1323 762604
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Website
english-heritage.org.uk
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Reviews
Overview
4.5
(1.2K reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
outdoor
family friendly
pet friendly
Description
Pevensey Castle is a medieval castle and former Roman Saxon Shore fort at Pevensey in the English county of East Sussex. The site is a scheduled monument in the care of English Heritage and is open to visitors.
attractions: Castle Cottage Tearoom, Pevensey Court House Museum & Gaol, restaurants: Smugglers Restaurant, The Royal Oak & Castle, The Heron, Simply Seafood, Starbucks Coffee, Wild Bean Cafe

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