Close to Combe Haven you will find some of the very best castles in the UK .
Hastings Castle - the first new fortification that William of Normandy ordered to be built immediately after landing in England in 1066, Built close to the shoreline, William ordered that it should be rebuilt in stone in 1070. Around 50 years later after King Henry III has refortified it in 1220, However violent storms eroded much of the soft sandstone and a large section of the castle was lost to the sea.
Camber Castle - built by Henry VIII, to guard the port of Rye, Camber was built as part of a chain of coastal defences to protect England's coast from foreign invasion. The circular tower was built between 1512-1514 and expanded between 1539-1544. By the end of the 16th century the silting of the Camber made the castle obsolete. The castle is in need of repair and for safety reasons may only be open by guided tour.
Rye Castle - was built around 1249, during the reign of King Henry III, as defences against frequent attacks from the warring French. Although the sea has long since retreated, Rye was once one of the largest and most important harbours in the country. Restricted opening times and entrance charges apply.
Pevensey Castle - the Roman fort of Anderitum was built during the 3rd century to protect the southern coastline of Britain from Saxon raiders. Harold Godwinson, King Harold II, who in the summer of 1066 waited in the fort with his English army for the impending invasion of Duke William of Normandy. Later at the ensuing Battle of Hastings, Duke William defeated the English army led by Harold. The castle was besieged in the Rebellion of 1088 and again later during a period of civil war known as The Anarchy. It survived yet another siege in 1264 and remained in use throughout the Late Middle Ages, before falling into disrepair in the centuries that followed. Restricted opening times and entrance charges apply.
Herstmonceux Castle - an intact brick-built Tudor castle. started in 1441. Sold to George Naylor a London lawyer in 1708, it was Naylor's grandson who reduced the castle to a picturesque ruin by demolishing its interior. Restored in the early 1900s, the castle is not open to the public,
Dover Castle - is an intact medieval castle. Situated above the White Cliffs of Dover and is a grand medieval castle, the largest in England. Henry II founded his great stone castle here in the 1160s. In the 13th century King John ordered the construction of underground tunnels to quickly deploy troops in order to surprise attacking forces. These tunnels were later used as a military command HQ during WWII. Restricted opening times and entrance charges apply.