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MONUMENT NO. 411728

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A probable 16th century coast defence battery located southeast of Rockhouse Bank Farm. The battery is defined by a ditch with an inner rampart both of which have been mutilated by a Second World War activities (Monument Number: 1541141). The ditch is three sided and sited on a commanding position on the lip of a slight escarpment overlooking Norman's Bay.

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(TQ 67910561) On the south side of Rockhouse Bank, in a commanding position on the lip of a sligh escarpment overlooking the seaward approaches to Norman's Bay, there is a small earthwork which is shown on the OS 25" 1930.

It is three-sided only with the open side facing inland. The central arm measures c. 37.5m in length and the two flanking arms each c.20.0min length. The work consists of a ditch with inner rampart. Ditch is also discontinuous having two causeways. The interior is featureless.

It is most probably one of a series of coastal batteries erected in
the 16th century (1) of which there is a surviving example at Pevensey Castle (TQ 60 SW 16), and one NE of Pevensey Bay (TQ 60 NE 6), now destroyed. It no doubt covered the entrance to Pevensey Harbour which, because of coastal erosion and silting, is known to have moved eastwards to the area of Norman's Bay during the 16th century (2). (1-3)

The work is generally as described by Authy 1. The interruptions in the 'V'-shaped Md ditch have a later appearance, and the breaches in the breastwork, though mutilated, have the appearance of gun ports.
Published survey 25" revised. (4)

The remains of this battery are well preserved and generally as described in 1960, except that the end of the E arm has since been worn down by cattle, and the end of the W arm has been mutilated; also the two gaps in the earthen bank or breastwork are probably ? World War II mutilations rather than gun ports. (Both are visible on the 1946 APs) (5). (5-6)

The 16th century battery referred to above (Source 1-3) is visible on aerial photographs and has been mapped as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP from aerial photographs taken in 1940 and 1971. The battery is as described, with the ditch and inner rampart clearly visible. However, as mentioned the battery was reused during the Second World War ( Monument Number: 1541141) and two gun positions can clearly be seen within the ditch at TQ 67938 05637 and TQ 67901 05616 on aerial photographs taken in 1940, which likely explains the two gaps mentioned in Source 3 and the two causeways mentioned in Source 1. The battery ditch was still clearly visible on recent aerial photographs taken in 2009. (7-9)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) General reference

Survey of the Coast of Sussex temp Eliz I, 5 Edited by M A Lower 1870

(2) General reference

The Inning of Pevensey Levels Sx AC 53 1910 58-9 (L F Salzman)

(3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 CFW 24-FEB-60

(4) Field Investigators Comments

F2 PAS 29-MAR-73

(5) General reference

RAF AP CPE/UK 1751 21/9/46 4005/6

(6) Field Investigators Comments

F3 MJF 29-OCT-87

(7) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR RAF/26H/UK/1439 1948-1949 30-SEP-1940

(8) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR MAL/71137 163-164 16-SEP-1971

(9) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 02-JUN-2009 ACCESSED 15-MAY-2011

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MONUMENT NO. 1541141
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A Second World War defended locality is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1940. The defended locality is located at Rockhouse bank battery (Monu...

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