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Year 10
AQA

The construction of Pevensey Castle

I can explain how and why Pevensey Castle was constructed as it was.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

The construction of Pevensey Castle

I can explain how and why Pevensey Castle was constructed as it was.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Pevensey Castle was originally a Roman fort.
  2. Pevensey Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle.
  3. Pevensey Castle was initially built from wood and a mound of earth.
  4. Pevensey was strengthened further after the Norman Conquest.

Keywords

  • Fort - a defensive structure

  • Castle - a defensive structure which is also designed to be a place of permanent residence

  • Motte-and-bailey - a type of castle built by the Normans, with a high earthen mound (motte) and a courtyard (bailey) protected by a strong timber palisade (fence)

Common misconception

Motte-and-bailey castles took years to build.

Stone castles could take several years to build; however, the Normans could erect the main defences of a motte-and-bailey castle in as little as a week, usually using large amounts of local labour.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: The construction of Pevensey Castle, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

As part of their revision, encourage students to write model paragraphs for different aspects of Pevensey Castle that questions could be asked about; for instance, a model paragraph explaining how the architecture of Pevensey Castle helped the Normans to maintain control.
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Adult supervision recommended

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word means the exchange of goods?
Correct Answer: trade
Q2.
Which word means a powerful English landholder?
Correct Answer: earl
Q3.
How many mints did Sussex have?
two
four
Correct answer: six
eight
Q4.
Where have coins minted in Sussex been found?
Japan
Correct answer: Rome
America
Germany
Q5.
Which of the follow industries did Sussex have?
Correct answer: herring
Correct answer: pig
sugar
Correct answer: cattle
iron
Q6.
How many churches were there in Sussex on the eve of the Norman Conquest?
25 or so
Correct answer: 50 or so
75 or so
100 or so

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word describes a defensive structure which is also designed to be a place of permanent residence?
Correct Answer: castle
Q2.
Which word describes a defensive structure?
Correct Answer: fort
Q3.
What happened to ‘Anderitum’ after the Romans left Britain?
it was occupied by soldiers
Correct answer: it was occupied by local civilians
Correct answer: it fell into disrepair after 461 CE
its walls were rebuilt in 461 CE
Q4.
What was one of William the Conqueror’s initial actions upon landing at Pevensey in 1066?
He disbanded his army to avoid conflict.
He immediately launched an attack on London.
Correct answer: He built a motte-and-bailey castle inside a Roman fort.
He established a naval blockade of the English Channel.
Q5.
How did William the Conqueror manage to complete the castle so quickly at Pevensey?
He employed a team of English architects to design the castle on site.
He used an existing mound in Pevensey as the base for the castle.
He built the entire castle from scratch using local materials.
Correct answer: He pre-built a wooden castle in Normandy and transported it to England.
Q6.
What were some of the improvements made to Pevensey Castle by Robert, Count of Mortain?
Correct answer: He converted the wooden castle into a stone castle and refortified the walls.
He dismantled the Roman walls to make way for new fortifications.
He turned the castle into a luxurious palace for Norman nobility.
He relocated the castle to a different site for better defence.

Additional material

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