Old Skegness Castle

Description

Skegnesse sumtyme a great haven toune a 4. or 5. miles of. Mr. Paynelle sayid onto me that he could prove that there was ons an haven and a towne waullid having also a castelle. The old toune is clene consumid, and eten up with the se, part of a chirch of it stode a late. At low waters appere yet manifest tokens of old buildinges. For old Skegnes is now buildid a pore new thing. (Leland)

Comments

King writes 'Castle identified by Leland on flimsy information' Leland's report of information from Mr Paynell is unsupported but not flimsy. Osbourne (2010) suggests this may have been Roman. Medieval Skegness was a prosperous little port, like several others along this coast, but a great tempest in 1526 broke through the headland and the town crumbled into the sea. Rebuilt nearly a mile inland of the old site, but now again on the coast, so any physical evidence of a castle will now be lost and even reading the landscape is impossible. However the name Skegness must mean that originally there was some sort of promontory here and other such promontories were used as a location for defensive sites by medieval and Roman builders (i.e. Scarborough) There is no primary medieval references to a castle. Although Skegness was reasonably prosperous port in the medieval period it is not likely to have been a large enough to support a castle. A lost Roman signal station or even a small Roman fort are possible.
In 1526 Skegness would seem to have been rather 'bracing' than usual.