Shoreham (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Shoreham By Sea.
In the historic county of Sussex.
Modern Authority of West Sussex.
1974 county of West Sussex.
Medieval County of Sussex (Rape of Bramber).

OS Map Grid Reference: TQ215056
Latitude 50.83749° Longitude -0.27545°

Shoreham has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such, and also as a Uncertain although is doubtful that it was such.

There are no visible remains.

Description

Guy records Horsley as writing "Shoreham appears to have had a castle formerly, but where situated it is now impossible to determine; no remnant standing nor any tradition relative to its site. It, and the manor, was held of the barony of Bramber."

There have been sporadic suggestions from Horsfield onwards for a fortification at Shoreham, the most recent proposing a late 11th-century motte and bailey castle on the northern side of New Shoreham. This appears to be based on a single and confusing 14th-century reference and is implausible. (ref. Horsfield; Stevens. Note the Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem source that Stevens and Horsfield cite is from 1325-6, and relates to the death of a later William de Braose, not his 11th-century ancestor.) (Harris, 2009)

Comments

Guy does not state which Shoreham he believed to have a castle. Old Shoreham was not a particularly significant place although it was a large Domesday manor held by William Braose, who probably would not need another castle so close to Bramber. New Shoreham may have been founded as early as the late C11 but more probably in the 1120s-1130s. The borough of Shoreham is mentioned in 1235 and it was represented as a borough from 1248 onwards. The town was one of the leading English ports until the harbour entrance became blocked sometime in the C13 or C14. Given it's importance a castle at Shoreham is a possibility, but other new boroughs of the C13 (i.e. Hull; New Winchelsea), did not have castles. The town did have a prison in 1221 but generally, other than local governance, the earlier legal centre was Bramber Castle and later Lewes and Chichester.
Given map reference is approximate only.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record.

Books
- Guy, John, 1984, Castles in Sussex (Phillimore) p. 135
  Horsfield ,T.W., 1835, The History, Antiquities and Topography of the County of Sussex (Baxter, Sussex Press, Lewes) p. 213
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1910, Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Edward II Vol. 6 p. 435 no. 701 online copy (Calendar entry for the reference given in Harris. Does not mention 'castle'.)
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Harris, R.B., Jan 2009, Shoreham Historic Character Assessment Report: Sussex Extensive Urban Survey Download copy
  Stevens, S., 1992, Was there a Norman Castle at New Shoreham? (unpubl. BA dissertation, University of York)

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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