the only time in history no fleet was there to guard the land. William with the first ships landed at Bulverhythe , at the mouth of the Asten . We are told that he gave a bishopric to a monk of Fecamp, in exchange for a vessel and twenty men on this occasion ; but surely the monk had done him some weightier service : now all the lands between Hastings and Romney Marsh were owned by the Abbot of Fecamp-- who then so likely as the Abbot's representative to induce the men of Hastings to open their gates to Wil liam ? A course they certainly adopted through some influence or other. The all important possession of their harbour enabled the disembarkation of the stores, horses and famous wooden castles, which must have occupied many days, to be carried on in perfect security . On the East Hill at Hastings is a small rectangular enclosure, about 80 yards long by 50 broad, too small for a permanent fortification, and yet doubtless erected for defence : this may mark the site of one of the wooden castles. The principal earthworks, however, must have abutted on the haven , on the western side of which traces may still be seen ; for[1] William of Poitou speaks of " custodia navium " " protection for ships," and ORDERIC mentions that they threw up fortifications for themselves and their ships, " sibi receptaculo et navibus pro pugnaculo." William , therefore, did not burn his fleet, but took every precaution to preserve it.
Imagine a triangle, with a base of four miles along the coast, its northern side a lofty ridge, extending 5 miles from -
- ↑ Lingard, i, 444 .
