Anglo Saxon History Home Background Landscape Changing Landscape and Language Sea Levels in AD400(Pevensey) Sea Levels in AD400(The Wash) Sea level changes last 2000 years Andredsweald Modern Andredsweald at Domesday Where is the Forest Boundary Where are the Roman Roads History of the Romney Marsh Stuff The Haestingas The Cinque Ports Romans First Invasion 55BC Second Invasion 43AD Ptolemy Geographica Tribes MAP-Margary Roman Roads MAP-Roman Roads South East MAP-Roman Roads South West MAP-Roman Roads Wales MAP-Roman Roads South Midlands MAP-Roman Roads South Yorkshire MAP-Roman Locations Norfolk MAP-Roman Locations Essex MAP-Wealden Roads/Bloomeries Wealden Bloomeries 1st Century Wealden Bloomeries 2nd Century Wealden Bloomeries 3rd Century Wealden Bloomeries 4th Century MAP-Antonine Itinery I Roman Industry in the Brede Valley Decline in Roman Wealden Ironworking The Gallic Empire 260AD - 274AD Saxon Chronicles 449AD Hengest & Horsa arrive 455AD Hengest & Horsa defeat Wurtgern 457AD Hengest & Horsa take over Kent 460AD Hæstinga Saxons arrive 477AD Cymensora 485AD Suth Saxons Mercredesburnan 491AD Suth Saxons Pevensey 914AD Burghal Hideage Locations - 449AD Ebbsfleet Locations - 455AD Agelesþrep Locations - 485AD Mearcredesburnan Stede Locations - 914AD Eorpeburnan 1066 Battle Documentary Evidence Available Documents 1 Anglo Saxon Chronicles 2 Battle Abbey Chronicles 3 Bayeux Tapestry 4 Carmen Guy d'Amiens 5 Florence of Worcester 6 Henry of Huntingdon 7 Master Wace 8 Orderic Vitalis(Gesta) 9 William of Jumièges(Gesta) 10 William of Malmesbury 11 Quedam Exceptiones Reference to Locations Phases of the Events Phases 1 Background 2 In Normandy 3 Channel Crossing 4 The Landing 5 Feast after Landing 6 Building the Forts 7 Raiding the Area 8 Warning to Harold 9 Stamford Bridge 10 Harold returns to London 11 William is Alerted 12 Exchange of Messages 13 Defenses 14 Harold Reconnoitres 15 Preparations 16 The Night Before 17 The Battle 18 Harold is Killed 19 The English Rout 20 After the Battle 21 The Malfosse Warriors, Weapons & Snippets Saxon - Huscarl Saxon - Fyrd(Fyrð) Senlac Hill The Malfosse The Hoar Apple Tree The Shield Wall Salt Production near Hastings The Battle of Jengland 851AD The Time Team view of the Battle 1066AD Landscape Details 1066AD Sailing from Normandy 1066AD Norman Landing 1066AD Possible Fort 1066AD to Pevensey and Hastings 1066AD Manors Wasted 1066AD Manors All 1066AD Warning to Harold 1066AD Harold to Hastings 1086AD Domesday Boundary of Anderida Domesday Hursts Post Domesday Hursts Domesday Manors Wasted UK Norfolk Salt Production Salt Production near Hastings The Wash at 1086 The Humber estuary at 1086 Domesday County details B Bedfordshire Domesday Population Berkshire Domesday Population Buckinghamshire Domesday Population Domesday County details C Cambridgeshire Domesday Population Cheshire Domesday Population Cornwall Domesday Population Domesday County details D Derbyshire Domesday Population Devon Domesday Population Dorset Domesday Population Domesday County details E Essex Domesday Population Domesday County details G Gloucestershire Domesday Population Domesday County details H Hampshire Domesday Population Herefordshire Domesday Population Hertfordshire Domesday Population Huntingdonshire Domesday Population Domesday County details K Kent Domesday Population Domesday County details L Leicestershire Domesday Population Lincolnshire Domesday Population Domesday County details M Middlesex Domesday Population Domesday County details N Norfolk Domesday Population Northamptonshire Domesday Population Nottinghamshire Domesday Population Domesday County details O Oxfordshire Domesday Population Domesday County details R Rutland Domesday Population Domesday County details S Shropshire Domesday Population Somerset Domesday Population Staffordshire Domesday Population Suffolk Domesday Population Surrey Domesday Population Sussex Domesday Population Domesday County details W Warwickshire Domesday Population Wiltshire Domesday Population Worcestershire Domesday Population Domesday County details Y Yorkshire Domesday Population Place names Translate my Location Jutish name snippets Roman name snippets Saxon name snippets Viking name snippets Norman name snippets Modern name snippets Villages containing EY/EYE/SEA Villages containing HAM Villages containing TON Villages containing CASTLE Sussex Locations with ING Domesday Sussex with ING Kent Locations with ING Sussex Locations with HURST Domesday Sussex with HURST Res 1. The decline of the Roman Ironworkings in the weald Classis Britannica - Background From Wikipedia The Classis Britannica (literally, British fleet, in the sense of 'the fleet in British waters' or 'the fleet of the province of Britannia', rather than 'the fleet of the state of Britain') was a provincial naval fleet of the navy of ancient Rome. Its purpose was to control the English Channel and the waters around the Roman province of Britannia. Unlike modern (and some contemporary Roman) "fighting navies", its job was largely the logistical movement of personnel and support, and keeping open communication routes across the Channel. A fleet was originally raised for the invasion of Britain under Claudius, with the task of bringing an invasion force of 40,000 men from the Roman army, plus supplies, to Great Britain. It continued after the successful invasion to provide support for the army, shuttling massive quantities of supplies across the English Channel. Its original purpose was for transport, and as such had limited fighting vessels, it would seem that the fleet was responsible for the industrialisation of the iron working in the Weald due to the number of tiles found in the area marked CLBR. It would seem that production knowledge improved significantly over the centuries as small bloomeries were superceeded by much larger production sites such as Beauport Park, Oaklands and Footlands near Battle. Reason for the Roman Invasion of Britannia The supply of iron from the Kent and Sussex coasts into Gaul by the Celts was probably one of the main reasons that Britannia was invaded, to ensure that this supply of iron, needed in quantity by the Legions for armour and weapons, was controlled by Rome. Classis Britannica - Operations and Evidence Documentary evidence There are no documents referring to 'Classis Britannica' but the name can be inferred from the other Roman fleet names plus numerous tiles and bricks found around the South Coast in Kent and East Sussex stamped 'CLBR'. Iron production and logistics The fleet appears to have been an intrinsic part of the Roman period Wealden Iron industry, evidenced by the stamped tiles found locally. Initially the industry appears to have used a multitude of small bloomeries, probably initially created by the indigenous celts to make iron pigs(bars) which were processed locally to make weapons and tools. The Roman shipped the iron pigs across to the Fleet headquarters at Boulogne in Gaul, probably via Portus Lemanis the harbour near to modern Hythe, or Pevensey. Shipbuilding To carry the iron to Gaul required large numbers of strong cargo vessels, which could be easily made from the Oak trees that were numerous in the Weald which bordered the sea along the coast from Pevensey to Appledore, this together with the local iron production made transport very local and efficient. This shipbuilding would have been controlled by Classis Britannica as part of their responsibilities. Main iron production period AD43 to AD290 Iron production and logistics The fleet appears to have been an intrinsic part of the Roman period Wealden Iron industry, evidenced by the stamped tiles found locally. Initially the industry appears to have used a multitude of small bloomeries, probably initially created by the indigenous celts to make iron pigs(bars) which were hammered into shape. The iron produced in the Rother valley was shipped across to the Fleet headquarters at Boulogne in Gaul, probably via Portus Lemanis the harbour near to modern Hythe. The iron produced in the Brede,Tillingham and Combe haven valleys were probably shipped from the Pevensey area. To carry the iron required large numbers of strong cargo vessels, which could be easily made from the Oak trees that were numerous in the Weald and which could be easily accessed via the Pevensey level, the Combe valley and the Rother. The trees bordering the Brede and Tillingham valleys were much more likely to have been used for charcoal production due to the proximity of the large later production sites which required vast amounts of fuel. During this time the Rother/Limen would have reached the sea at modern Hythe about 20 miles away from its current mouth at Rye. Production period AD43 to AD100 The iron was created from many small bloomeries in a similar way the the Celts originally used. The main production came from the Brede valley with about 250 tons per year, the Asten valley produced about 100 tons and the Tillingham valley 70 tons. Overall about 420 tons of iron was created every year from the Wealden bloomeries, and the Classis Britannica transported this across to Bologne for processing and turning into weapons, armour and implements. The proxiity to the forest of Andredsweald made shipbuilding as important as the iron production. Production period AD101 to AD200 The iron is now being processed in smaller more concentrated areas and production is being ramped up. The main production came from the Brede valley with about 400 tons per year, the Asten valley is down to 50 tons and the Tillingham valley remained at 70 tons, however the Rother vally is now producing 110 tons per year, with its main port being at Bodiam where a Roman port has been discovered. Overall about 630 tons of iron was created every year from the Wealden bloomeries, and still the Classis Britannica transported this across to Bologne for processing and turning into weapons, armour and implements. The probability is that more ships were being built on the Rother near Bodiam. Production period AD201 to AD300 The production is now completely industrialised and coming from a few much larger production sites which are about 200 metres square such as Bardown at Stonegate, Beauport Park near Battle, Oaklands and Footlands near Sedlescombe. Overall the total iron production was down on the previous century to 360 tons however this was most likely due to the breakaway smaller Gallic empire founded in AD260 by Postumus needing less weapons and iron implements. And also to Carausius's declaration of independence from Rome in AD286 and the foundation of his smaller empire that covered Britannia and northern Gaul. The above two declarations of independence would also have required more people to build the majority of the 'Saxon Shore Forts' built during the period which would have taken some of the labour force to use during their construction as it would seem that Classis Britannica were in control of the construction. Production period AD301 to AD400 The production of iron is now down to very small volumes from the Brede valley and near modern Ashburnham to the north of the current Pevensey marshes only amounting to about 40 tons per year, a significant drop on the previous century. It would be reasonable to assume that the reduction in production was a deliberate act by the Emperors to isolate shipbuilding from iron production because it meant that one person controlling Britannia could easily revolt from Rome as they would control both the iron working and the shipbuilding both of major importance. The probability is that the iron production was moved away from the weald to other parts of the Empire nearer to Rome such as Iberia and Austria. Conclusion Because of the intrinsic importance of shipping to the Roman Empire it would be reasonable to assume that after the 3rd Century revolts, that the Weald would have reverted to shipbuilding and that the Classis Britannica was disbanded as an organisation due to its potential misuse. The small amount of iron produced in the 4th century and the areas proximity to the Forest of Anderida would be consistant with the production of ships. Further details about the Wealden Iron Industry can be found on the Wealden Iron Research Group Website Copyright saxonhistory.co.uk 2013 - 2023Contact SimonAuthor Simon M - Last updated - 2023-06-26 15:37:50All pages on our site (Sitemap)