Forest Archaic Collective

A painting of a Roman masonry walled fort with projecting towers from the air, reused as a base by Norman soldiers arriving in dragon boats from the sea

28th September 1066

An invading army led by William Duke of Normandy make the 780 year old #Roman fort of ANDERITVM (Pevensey) #Sussex a base prior to the Battle of Hastings

A vivid recreation © Alan Sorrell 1970 reproduced in 1976 as a Department of the Environment postcard

#RomanFortThursday

yeah its remarkable they're (still) here in such quantity!

recall a small photo in the Novium of a tiny section of the facing stones of the Chichester walls that have survived in a garden somewhere along Market Ave
i want to knock on their door & ask nicely but, don't think they'd appreciate that 😬

think 2 things can be true at the same time 😁

#AdoorableThursday with the doorway to St Aldhems Chapel at golden hour, ostesibly c12 though i've seen suggestions the chapel may be much older

See more of Worth Matravers & Dorset in the new episode >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kav...

🧵/9
I believe these are the original facing stones? not 100% confident to identify them
certainly a lot closer to the original look compared to Chichesters Walls
@durotrigesdig.bsky.social - have a vague recollection of you posting on Pevensey, are these original do we know?

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/8
As well as many of its projecting towers surviving very nicely, Pevensey is also noteworthy for still having many facing stones surviving

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/7
its true that Pevensey would've once abutted the shoreline - a shoreline that has now retreated about a mile away
...but the same is true of Portchester, Richmond & others - and they are still square

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/6
Here's a plan of the site showing the chronology of the different layers
but as the different shape i have no idea, anyone?

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/5
One thing i hadn't clocked before, and now i feel a bit silly: Pevensey is a long oval shape, its quite unlike the rest of the shore forts that are somewhere between square & the typical playing card shape

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/4
The Castle is of course very nice - even with water in the moat
last visit it was covered in scaffolding so its nice to see it without this time

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/3
Approaching from the east you're greated with this rather wonderful gateway, while the main road passes perilously close

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/2
...the castle is in fact nested in the middle of one of the Saxon shore forts from ~1700 years ago
which I happen to think is even cooler

#RomanFortThursday

🧵/1
So this is Pevensey - a first stopping point for William the conqueror in 1066 & many visitors are distracted by the Norman Castle in the middle
which means that they miss...

#RomanFortThursday

YouTube video by Forest Archaic Collective Exploring Dorsets Cosiest Pubs

🧵/
Before we get going - we have episodes out on what we've been doing to stay sane this winter
currently: a circuit of some of Dorsets cosiest pubs >>>

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kav...

#RomanFortThursday & this week got a chance to get back to Pevensey for the first time in about 5 years, its been super-ages!

think we need a thread, i have some questions

🧵👇

the first few seconds of a rather beautiful & hazy #Sunrise in Bournemouth this morning

#HillfortsWednesday & back in 2020 there was a fire at Woolsbarrow which did at least have the side effect of clearing much of the under brush to reveal the fort a little more clearly

See more of Dorset in the new episode >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kav...

#Woodensday & back in June 2015 the owner of the Square + Compass pub in Worth Matravers built a timber circle & despite having no planning permission, its still there & I think its pretty great 😊
See the Square & compass in our episode on Dorsets cosiest pubs >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kav...

#ChancelArchTuesday

#ChancelArchTuesday with this rather lovely Romanesque crossing tower arch at St Nicholas Iford, East Sussex

#TympanumTuesday with this of Christ in majesty at St Kenelm's Church, Halesowen
Believed to be a derivative work imitating the Hereford School based on a few characteristics

See more of what we've been up to in the winter >>>
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

#TombTuesday The Seven Barrows, Lambourn
noteworthy for being at least 9 barrows, and more like 40 if you start looking just a few yards away

See more of what we've been up to in the winter >>>
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Selçuk EP, by Forest:Jungle Collective 3 track album

Actually yes :)

forestjunglecollective.bandcamp.com/album/sel-uk...

#MotteMonday & when I realised I was passing this morning, couldn't resist

The wonderful Bramber Castle looking great, especially now blue skies have returned 😊☀️

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant & happy #StDavidsDay to everyone! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

This time last year i found myself in St Davids for St Davids day which was too good an opportunity to pass up

Am editing that episode as we speak but for more of how we've been getting through winter >>>

www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

#SaxonSunday with the beautiful St Martin on the Walls, Wareham, during & after the rain a couple of sundays ago

See more of the cozy pubs from Wareham & around Dorset >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kav...

#StandingStoneSunday with the
Nine Stones Circle [slash/ Nine Maidens or 17 brothers] Dartmoor
It was quite the contrast of weather when we were there, all these were taken within about 15 mins

see more of Dartmoor in the episode >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec-6...

is that hand drawn ? bloody impressive if so

(Not that i'd want you to be taking time away from archaeology but just think of all the webcomic adventures Toby the Trowel could be having)

oh & grats too! 😊🍻

speaking of Corfe Castle
Still don't quite believe this one, few years back by complete fluke i panned the camera up and captured *the most Dorset scene ever™ *
no chance i'd ever be able to recreate this 😩

See some cozy pubs at Corfe Castle here >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kav...

#CastleSaturday

#SteepleSaturday with the lovely Norman work at St Nicholas church Dorset, including its ludicrously sturdy tower

we were passing as part of our day exploring Dorsets Cosiest Pubs which you can catch here >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kav...