CAMBER CASTLE

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

WINCHELSEA CASTLE

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

Camber Artillery Castle was constructed between 1513 and 1543 as part of Henry VIII's chain of coastal defences to protect England from invasion. It was positioned on a spit which protected the Camber estuary and seaward entrance to the port of Rye. There were three phases of construction: the first in 1512-14; the second from 1539-40 and the third begun in 1542. However, by 1548 the castle became largely obsolete as the Camber channel silted up. The castle was maintained during the 16th century but the garrison was disbanded and the ordnance removed in 1637. During the Second World War the castle was used as a training camp and a pillbox was established there. The castle was bought in 1977 by the state and has been comprehensively restored and is now run by English Heritage.

The first phase of construction was built by Edward Guldeford, and consisted of a circular one-storeyed artillery tower, topped with an open platform designed to house heavy guns. This survives as the lower part of the central citadel of the completed castle.
The second phase of construction was in response to the political crisis and consequent fear of invasion and resulted in the construction of an elaborate concentric structure of four stirrup-shaped towers. These were linked to each other by an eight-sided curtain wall and to a gallery around the remodelled and heightened central citadel by radiating vaults. The castle was entered by a rectangular gatehouse to the north west.
The final phase included the replacement of the earlier, stirrup-shaped outer towers with four semicircular bastions, the thickening of the octagonal curtain wall and some remodelling of the gatehouse.
The castle is built of stone, probably from local quarries, as well as reused from local dissolved religious houses.
The castle buildings are surrounded by a group of associated earthworks, some of which may be connected with defences and army training activities during the Second World War.

PICTURES

+ / -

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

(TQ 9218 1845) Remains of Camber Castle. (1)

One of a series of five polygonal block-houses built for the
defence of the south-east coast.
The central tower (see plan) appears to have been built about 1511-14 and the outer bastions c 1538-44. By 1626 the castle was rendered useless by the retirement of the sea and the shifting of the mouth of the Rother, and it was 'dismantled' in 1642.

Traces of a moat surround the remains. (2)

About 800ft NW of the castle is a rectangular enclosure crossed by two 'streets' at right angles.
A possible encampment related to the castle. Shows on aerial-photo.

Area outside walls containing low earth banks. Possible outer earthworks of Civil War period. (3)

Surrounding enclosure faintly visible on aerial photographs. (4)

Camber Castle (name board) is as described in the plan by VCH but further internal details are being recovered by the Department of the Environment, who are restoring it. There is no trace of a moat.
Approx 120.0 metres NW of the castle is a low bank about 0.3m high and 3.5m wide forming an 'L - shape with a sharp corner. This overlays a slight causeway leading to the castle. The 'enclosure' mentioned by E Holden lies against the bank at TQ 9205 1857, the two apparently contemporary. These two features do not have the appearance of an antiquity and probably represent an old field boundary. In this area there is also evidence of land sculpture that relates to the former golf links.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. (5)

Camber Castle, Grade I. A scheduled Ancient Monument. This was one of the series of castles built by Henry VIII as coast defences in 1538. Its plan is quatrefoil-shaped, with lunettes at the corners and the entrance on the North side forming another lunette or the stalk of the flower. It is a squat building of ashlar lined with brick. In the centre of the square is a higher round tower or keep of earlier date built of ashlar and lined with brick for the top or second storey which has probably been added.

The first phase of construction was built by Edward Guldeford, and consisted of a circular one-storeyed artillery tower, topped with an open platform designed to house heavy guns. This survives as the lower part of the central citadel of the completed castle.
The second phase of construction was in response to the political crisis and consequent fear of invasion and resulted in the construction of an elaborate concentric structure of four stirrup-shaped towers linked to each other by an eight-sided curtain wall and to a gallery around the remodelled and heightened central citadel by radiating vaults. The castle was entered by a rectangular gatehouse to the north west. The final phase included the replacement of the earlier, stirrup-shaped outer towers with four semicircular bastions, the thickening of the octagonal curtain wall and some remodelling of the gatehouse.
The castle buildings are built of local stone, probably from quarries at nearby Fairlight, Playden and Hastings, and from Mersham near Ashford in Kent. Additional building materials include Caen stone reused from the newly dissolved religious houses at Winchelsea, local timber and yellow bricks fired on site.
The castle buildings are surrounded by a group of associated earthworks, some of which may be connected with defences and army training activities during the Second World War.
For a full description please refer to the sources. (6-7)

This source contains a brief history of the castle. (8)

This source includes a very detailed history of the castle including its various phases of construction and development. (9)

A survey was carried out on the castle. For details of this and a history of the castle please refer to the source. (10)

The 1540 Henrician castle with later alterations was based on a circular keep surrounded by a concentric system of bastions which were in turn backed by four D-shaped towers linked by an octagonal curtain wall. A large rectangular gatehouse was added. The castle had a relatively low profile and was surrounded by an earthwork glacis and the perimeter was protected by flankers which were concealed in the bastions. Camber castle has been accredited as being an early attempt by von Haschenperg to create a castle based on Italianate designs. However, the alterations carried out to the castle in 1543/4 with the construction of four very large semi-circular bastions and the curtain wall which increased the height of the defences can be seen as a return to an older style of castle design. (11)

Ruins of a largely unaltered artillery fort built by Henry VIII to guard the port of Rye. There are guided walks around the castle and the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

Ordnance Survey 6" 1962

( 2) edited by L F Salzman 1937 The Victoria history of the county of Sussex: volume nine: the Rape of Hastings

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)184-5

( 3) Annotated Record Map

Correspondents Annotated 6" Sheet (E W Holden 1970)

( 4) Aerial photograph

36/TUD/UK 148 5249-50

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 04/10/1972

( 6) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Rother, 13-MAY-1987 1917

( 7) Scheduled Monument Notification

13-JUN-1996

( 8) English Heritage 1998 The English Heritage visitors' handbook 1998-99

Page(s)33

(9) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

Page(s)415-447

(10) General reference

Biddle M et al 2001. Henry VIIIs Artillery Fort at Camber Castle, Rye, East Sussex. Oxford Archaeological Unit for English Heritage, Oxford.

(11) Harrington, Peter 2007 The Castles of Henry VIII

Page(s)21-22

(12) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

Page(s)51

RELATED MONUMENTS

+ / -

Monument Name/No

Resources

Description

MONUMENT NO. 1426954
ICKLESHAM

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

Site of a Second World War pillbox documented on a 1941 German map of British defences at Camber Castle, to the south of Rye. The pillbox would have ...

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting NMR Enquiry and Research Services , through the English Heritage website.

EH Prints
English Heritage
Heritage Explorer
Heritage Gateway
Images of England
NMR
ViewFinder