MONUMENT NO. 462267

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Earthwork remains of an 11th century ringwork castle; traces of possible Iron Age occupation were found; Neolithic scrapers and other worked flints were found during excavations. Roman tile and pottery may indicate the site of a villa.

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[SZ 87219568] Earthwork [G.T.] (1)

South of Selsey old church are the remains of a circular or oval earthwork, consisting of a 9ft. deep ditch and a vallum 18ft. above the bottom of the ditch. (Excavations carried out in 1911 revealed traces of an earlier, possibly Norman building. The defensive works are Elizabethan, and tending to confirm the local tradition that it was a fortification thrown up in 1587 against the Armada.) The site had, however, been occupied from early times, and a number of Roman tiles, a piece of Samian ware, and fragments of coarse pottery, possibly Saxon, were found. A 10th century bronze belt Tab and a worked flint were also found. Sub-Crag flints were found near the Mound in association with pot-boilers, and pottery evidently marking the site of an Iron Age camp floor. (2)

"Some rather desultory and inconclusive excavations in 1911 tended to confirm the local tradition that it was an Armada fortification. Traces of an earlier massive building, and Roman occupation were found within the ramparts". (3)

A survey of the coast in 1587 makes special note of the necessity of a battery on this side of Pagham Harbour and further that there was need of "tenches and flankers" hereabouts also. (4)

This earthwork occupies a commanding position at the entrance to Pagham Harbour. It is in a badly mutilated condition with only the southern half still surveyable. This comprises a strong bank with rampart and outer ditch heavily overgrown and mutilated in the interior by pits and trenches, in parts the rampart has been completely reduced. The northern half of the work has been destroyed by the Old Selsey parish church-yard but it is still recognisable as a strong swelling within the churchyard with distinct sags in the churchyard wall where it crosses the ditch. The earthwork was unquestionably circular or sub-circular and its appearance, although mutilated, is strongly suggestive of a ring-motte. Its position, presence of massive foundations (? Keep) and the proximity of the parish church all tend to confirm this; the Bishops Park (SZ 89 SE 69) is also probably connected with the site.
Published survey (25" 1932) revised. (5)

Small excavation by a Mr Garret c.1965. Foundations? of a 12th.c. hall building. Classed as a Medieval ringwork castle. (6-7)

A ring work castle as described by F1.
The 1965 excavation trenches were filled in and nothing is now visible. The course of the ditch can be determined in the churchyard, and a banked depression, strongly suggesting foundations of an old building can be seen in the NE corner of the earthwork.
1:2500 survey revised. (8)

Two Neolithic scrapers and other worked flints were found during the 1911 excavations. (9)

Despite the evidence presented in 1911, there can be little doubt that the surviving mound at Church Norton is the remains of an 11th century ringwork which once supported a square tower, the foundations of which appear to have been encountered in 1911. The tower may have functioned as a keep or, since it occurs on one side of the ringwork, as a gatehouse. St Wilfred's Chapel (SZ 89 NE 16) lies in close proximity to the ringwork and some relationship between the two must be considered. (10)

The trees and undergrowth which covered the earthworks were removed and the site laid to grass during 1980. While this work was in progress, trenches from the 1911 and 1965 excavations were encountered. The opportunity to re-examine the finds from those excavations and to publish the 1965 work as fully as possible was taken. The evidence, primarily pottery, indicated that the main period of occupation was mid-11th to mid-12th centuries AD, thus supporting the suggestion that the earthworks belong to the early Norman period. The square tower probably dates to the same period and may be seen as a keep within a ringwork motte. RB and late Saxon material indicates earlier occupation in the vicinity but the absence of later medieval material suggests occupation was short lived after c.1100AD. Finds from 1911 and 1965 are in Chichester Museum, Accession nos 5304 and 5305 respectively. (11)

WS 73 The excavations of 1911 recovered a quantity of Roman combed and flanged tiles and pottery, including samian. Listed as the possible site of a Roman villa. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

( 2) Sussex Archaeological Society Sussex archaeological collections : relating to the history and antiquities of the counties of East and West Sussex

LF Salzman 55, 1912 Page(s)56-62, 317

( 3) edited by L F Salzman 1953 The Victoria history of the county of Sussex, volume four : the Rape of Chichester

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)207

( 4) General reference

Survey of Coast of Sussex (1587) by Sir Thomas Palmere and Walter Coverte (ed MA Lower)

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 CFW 08-FEB-62

( 6) Annotated Record Map

Corr 6" (EW Holden 1967)

( 7) Chateau Gaillard Colloque

King and Alcock 3, 1966 Page(s)122

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F2 PAS 23-MAR-71

( 9) Sussex Archaeological Society Sussex archaeological collections : relating to the history and antiquities of the counties of East and West Sussex

microfiche (FG Aldsworth) 125, 1987 Page(s)17

(10) Sussex Archaeological Society Sussex archaeological collections : relating to the history and antiquities of the counties of East and West Sussex

FG Aldsworth 117, 1979 Page(s)104-7

(11) Sussex Archaeological Society Sussex archaeological collections : relating to the history and antiquities of the counties of East and West Sussex

FG Aldsworth and ED Garnett 119, 1989 Page(s)217-21

(12) by Eleanor Scott 1993 A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain

Leicester archaeology monographsNo.1 (1993) - no.1 Page(s)189

(12a) by E W Black 1987 The Roman villas of south-east England

BAR British series1 (1974) - 171 Page(s)156

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