as at Winchelsea, has receded from its walls nearly a mile. At this spot, William landed when he came to assert his right to the crown of England. It was numbered among the places ravaged by Godwin, Earl of Kent, in the reign of Edward the Confessor. It is divided into two parishes, each of which has a church. The only object worthy of particular attention is the castle. The time of its erection, and by whom, are not known ; but the prevailing opinion is, that it was built by the Romans: if so, it is the largest and most entire specimen of a Roman building in Great Britain . Many parts of the castle, particularly the principal entrance,which is on the west, have numerous layers of Roman brick. The extent of the outward walls is 250 rods ; they are twenty feet high and almost entire, enclosing an area of seven acres. The east wall stands on a kind of cliff, which has every appearance of having at one time been washed by the sea. The inner castle measures seventy rods in circumference . The entrance to it was over a drawbridge defended by two circular towers, and moated on all sides but the east. At the south-east corner is the sally-port. Its other defences are six circular towers, the lower stories of which are vaulted. The north-west tower being adorned with arches in relief, is supposed to have been the governor's apartment.
William the Conqueror, soon after ascending the throne, gave the town and castle of Pevensey to his half-brother Robert, Earl of Montaigne, at the same time creating him Earl of Cornwall. In the succeeding reign of William Rufus, he joined his brother Odo, Earl of Kent, in an insurrection in favour of Robert Courthouse, and held out this castle against the king ; but on the appearance of the royal army, he capitulated and made peace with the king. He was very devout, according to the standard of piety -
