Pevensey History Festival 2023 takes place in August

The Pevensey History festival will be running from the 16th till 28th August for the fifth year. Started and organised by Robert Slater, local walk guide and author, it combines dozens of events, many are free.

It kicks off with a free film showing of Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’ at the Royal Oak and Castle Wednesday 16th 8pm. A film which was partly inspired by the infamous 1924 Crumbles murder (the police actually met in the pub before travelling to murder scene!)

There are several new items such as a mini pilgrimage on Saturday 19th from St Wilfrids Pevensey Bay 10 am and even two overnight stays in the cells of the Old Court House. Also favourites like pottery demonstrations at Pevensey Pottery (back of Eastnor House) 11am Sat/Sun 19th and 20th ideal if you ever wondered how pottery was made or fancy a go on a potter’s wheel.

Village and churchyard walks on Friday 18th, 25th and Saturday 19th, 26th Sun 20th and Monday 28th meet Court House 4pm and Free. On Saturdays there will be the usual Pevensey ghost walk searching out some of the darker things which lurk in the Castle’s shadows and this year on the last two Fridays there will be a Crime, Smuggling and Punishment walk which starts inside the historic Mint House.

There will be Talks on “Law and Disorder in Pevensey’ and ‘Sampling Pevensey’s Rich History’ at the Mint House on Saturday 19th 1pm onwards. On Sunday at the same venue ‘Bizarre Sussex’ 1pm. Also, on the Sunday at St Nicolas Church there is a talk by Scott Chaussee (formerly of Wessex Archaeology) on “Pevensey, the Port, Fort and Maritime Context’ at St Nicolas Church 6pm – his talk last year was packed and utterly fascinating.

On the 26th August Saturday 1pm will see a reenactment at the Market Square of Betty Breech, the last prisoner in the gaol and just what happened to Filensen the convicted prisoner who was drowned in the river? Later at St Nicolas Church 6.30pm is a talk ‘Queens, Kings and Coronations’

Coming to an end of the festival on Sunday 27th at 12 till 4pm you can come down with children to meet the Smugglers and Fisherfolk with a tale or two to tell, and a chest of gold coins – all thanks to Hastings and Eastbourne Pyrates in the fascinating atmospheric Mint House.

Monday the 28th at 1pm is the relaunch of the newly republished ‘The Innings and Happenings of Wallsend – a history of Pevensey Bay’ a unique history found in manuscript form at a car boot sale and dating back some forty years with insights many people will never have known from coal boats landing at the Bay, workings of the port and the building of the present day Pevensey Bay.

Info 07740 828215 or Just turn up or booking ticketsource.co.uk/sussexguidedwalks