Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/233

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ON THE CITY OP ANDERIDA, OR ANDREDESCEASTER. 215 Tabor, and, far from dcciuing the extent of the ruins at Pevensey a reason for seeking Andredesceaster elsewhere, I regard that very circumstance as strongly in favour of the identity of the two places. Moreover, I contend, that the statement of the consequences of the demolition of the Romano-British city by the Saxons, is actually aj)[)licable to Pevensey, almost alone of all the spots which have been named as the site of Anderida. The quotation given above from Henry of Huntingdon, concludes, it will be remembered, by saying, " The Saxons so utterly destroyed the city, that it was never afterwards rebuilt. Only the site, as of a very noble city, is pointed out desolate to those Avho may pass by." If we use these words to test the condition, when they were written, of the several places whose claims we have been reviewing, we shall find the castle of Arundel mentioned in Domesday Book as existing "in the time of King Edward" the Confessor, and there can be no doubt of the situation being occupied and inhabited from that time to this ; at Hastings the castle was erected, if not by William I., at least by an early Anglo-Norman sovereign, and a still earlier date will probably be granted to the town. Seaford was a port, maintaining intercourse wdth those of the Netherlands pre- vious to the Norman invasion ^ Of the early state of East Bourne and Newhaten, the only evidence I can ofter is, that the church of the latter was indisputably Norman ; but the want in those localities, already urged, of any vestiges of Roman military masonry, is enough to exclude them from the category : the same might be said of Newenden, but we have also the testimony of Domesday Book, that the place was then of such importance as to possess a valuable market, although, if that was held where the present church and village stand, it was at a considerable distance from the in- trenchments, supposed to have been those of Andredesceaster, which spot certainly is uninhabited to this day. However, of all che situations, where, with reasonable proliability, we might seek for the desolated British city, the Chronicler's account seems best, if not solely, applicable to Pevensey. It is admitted, as above, that the surviving ruins shew marks of Norman repairs ; these liowever were comparatively slight

  • M. Alford, Annal. Eccl. Aiigl. Sax., ton), ii. p. ."JOl ; and Acta Sanctorum, Mens.

Julii, p. (il2.