history continued ...
Left unprotected by the Roman army in about 350 AD, the
local Celts were soon infiltrated by groups of immigrants
from Europe, mostly Saxons from Germany. Among the immigrants
was one group referred to as the "Braegle Folk".
As the English language evolved "Braegle" became
"Brayl" and "Brayl" became "Braylsham"
with the addition of the Saxon word "ham" meaning
"small settlement".
One of the mysteries of Braylsham is why there is no reference
to it in the Doomsday Book. Braylsham may have been church
land excluded from the Doomsday survey. There are several
references to the Prior of Lewes owning land in the immediate
vicinity. It has also been suggested that nearby Tottingworth
may have belonged to Bishop Tot of Chichester (c. 750).
Another possibility is that Braylsham may have been destroyed
in the running battle fought by King Harold's army as they
retreated after their defeat at the Battle of Hastings,
which was fought just 12 miles to the southeast.
After the Norman Conquest, the first clear reference to
Braylsham was in 1260 when "that tenement with house
and buildings" was given by Peter Le Porder to Roger
de Bromham for 16 Marks plus an annual rental of 14 pence.
It was again described in a manorial survey in about 1540.
An adjacent watermill was first mentioned in 1623.
Although Braylsham Castle is of recent construction and is a ‘faux’ castle, it is similar to a number of 12th century moated manor houses in Sussex and Kent. In each case a "hall" house was constructed on an island to protect it from attack. The hall is an open structure with a hole in the roof that served as a central fireplace. By the 13th century England had become unsafe and anyone with possessions was forced to construct a stone "keep" or tower. This enabled one man to defend his family from attack. As law and order returned in the 16th century, timber accommodations were added to provide more space and comfort.
