Church Norton - Norman Castle Remains
There is evidence that some of their castles were pre-fabricated in Normandy and brought across the English Channel by boat.
Typically the castles incorporated a motte or mound with a ditch alongside it. The mound would have been reinforced by stakes.
Having thrown up an initial defensive enclosure relatively rapidly, the Normans often developed more substantial buildings inside the compound. It is almost certain that there was a stone tower built here - its remains were noted in 1662 by a Selsey churchwarden.
It is probable that the castle at Church Norton was abandoned in the 12th century, so its working life was a relatively short one. The Church Norton Mound is typical of these castles - it is very like the Castle remains in Priory Park, Chichester, a few miles north of here.
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