Sussex Military Research Projects
Revealing Camber Castle
Project ID: SMR1054
Location: Rye Harbour, East Sussex
Project date: 2022
Periods:
Partners:
Description: In July 2022 we spent a very hot day working in Camber Castle! We had a good turnout of volunteers working on two tasks, namely to clear part of the courtyard of vegetation and locate and record graffiti etched into the walls through the ages.
The day began with a health and safety briefing followed by guided tour of the castle by Barry Yates. Peter Hibbs and Stewart Angell added some of their Second World War knowledge of the Castle's use as an artillery observation post in 1941 and the nearby bombing decoy site.
The vegetation team got down on hands and knees to try and lift a thin layer of mud and turf to reveal the cobblestones underneath. Work was done using wood and plastic tools (tent pegs, 'Y' shaped branches and a cooking spatula!) Soft tools were required to avoid scratching the cobbles. Good progress was made and by the end of the day, about 2/3 of the area around the well had been cleared.
The graffiti team also had a good day; a thorough search was conducted and areas of etching marked on a plan for furture reference. Not all markings were at a convenient height and so a stepladder was deployed. Photographs with scale were taken as part of the recording process. A lot of marks were found, but too many to record properly on this visit. Etchings going back hundreds of years were found and some more modern ones from the Second World War. As usual, a big thank you to everyone who came along for your hard work!
