Bibliography - Rodney Castleden
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The Wilmington Giant: The quest for a lost myth, by Rodney Castleden, published 16 June 1983 (208 pp. & 8 plates, Turnstone Press Ltd, ISBN-10: 0855001852 & ISBN-13: 9780855001858) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

This is the first book to have been written about the Long Man of Wilmington. Many different theories about the Long Man's origins are discussed and evaluated. The book is a guide to the history and archaeology of the Giant's Downland setting, and will appeal to everyone who loves the landscape, heritage, history and lore of the South Downs.

Classic Landforms of the Sussex Coast, by Rodney Castleden, published 29 December 1996 (38 pp., Geographical Association, ISBN-10: 1899085173 & ISBN-13: 9781899085170) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

Shape-shifting: the changing outline of the Long Man of Wilmington, by Rodney Castleden, published 2002 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 140, article, pp.83-95) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15109] & The Keep [LIB/500299] & S.A.S. library   View Online

The Long Man of Wilmington (NGR TQ 542034) is a modern construction of concrete blocks marking the site of a hill figure of uncertain origin and uncertain shape. This article reviews the modern history of the constructed outline and its relationship with the unencumbered hill figure that existed on the site until 1873. The results of resistivity surveys undertaken by Gravett in 1969 and the present author in 1996?97 are used to try to resolve some of the problems in reconstructing the shape of the Long Man before the 1873-74 bricking.

King Arthur: The Truth Behind the Legend, by Rodney Castleden, published 13 March 2003 (288 pp., London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., ISBN-10: 0415316553 & ISBN-13: 9780415316552)

The Bird Man of Blatchington: The Diaries (1846-1869) of the Revd Robert Nathaniel Dennnis, by Rodney Castleden, published 2011 (Seaford: Blatchington Press)

On Blatchington Hill: History of a Downland Village, by Rodney Castleden, published 2011 (310 pp., Seaford: Blatchington Press, ISBN-10: 1447857682 & ISBN-13: 9781447857686) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries

The story of a small Sussex Downland village is told for the first time. Using a wide range of sources, including historic maps, house histories, old letters and personal reminiscences, the complex history of East Blatchington emerges, with unexpected results. The book reveals how close the village came to extinction in the Black Death, and how the ambition of the last squire led to many of the village's present-day problems. And some extraordinary personalities reappear from the past. What emerges is an unexpectedly rich and colourful picture of an English village that has come close to being forgotten. 309pp, over 90 black and white illustrations

This book is an absolute treat. I thought I knew a lot about Seaford but on reading this book fascinating new facts about Seaford were jumping out from every page. Rodney has done a thorough job in recording the history of Blatchington, a village which has long since disappeared into greater Seaford. The parish of East Blatchington (it became East Blatchington to distinguish it from another village of the same name near Hove) stretches from the sea to the golf course and Rodney has delved into hundreds of sources to provide us with the most comprehensive book about the area ever written.
Blatchington has a long and interesting history dating back to Roman times. Although squashed between the important medieval port of Seaford and ancient Bishopstone, Blatchington has been owned by a variety of 'Lords of the Manor' including the Gage family from Firle and the clergy of Battle Abbey. Rodney writes well and potentially dull periods are peppered with facts which keep the reader interested - a murder here, a drowning there or even a tale of the local miller who used to paint his horse blue and yellow! Some of Blatchington's influential residents including the bird worrier, Revd Robert Dennis and William Tyler-Smith, the London surgeon who did so much to promote Victorian Seaford are thoroughly researched and what colourful characters they were. Blatchington resident Herbert Fisher supplied the underpants which were used on the body of a Welsh vagrant - 'the Man who Never Was' - whose body was dumped in the Mediterranean with fake papers in his pocket to fool Hitler into thinking there would be an allied attack on Sardinia.
The military presence in the area has not been overlooked. Blatchington Barracks was in use between 1793 and 1818 and thousands of men came from all over the country to keep watch towards France. Bad food and conditions led to the infamous mutiny of 1795 and many of the soldiers were buried in Blatchington churchyard. During the Great War another massive camp was built for soldiers fromall over the Empire which stretched from Blatchington Hill to the cemetery in Alfriston Road.
The book is well illustrated with pictures, drawings, maps and some of the author's own art work. Every village should have a book like this and anyone with an interest in heritage should have this book on their shelf.

The Wilmington Giant: The quest for a lost myth, by Rodney Castleden, published 16 July 2012 (258 pp. & 96 illus., Harper Collins, ISBN-10: 0855001844 & ISBN-13: 9780855001841) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries

This is the first book to have been written about the Long Man of Wilmington. Many different theories about the Long Man's origins are discussed and evaluated. The book is a guide to the history and archaeology of the Giant's Downland setting, and will appeal to everyone who loves the landscape, heritage, history and lore of the South Downs. An expanded version of the 1983 edition, which has been described in a review as 'a modern antiquarian classic'.

The Sussex Coast: Land, Sea and the Geography of Hope, by Rodney Castleden, published 3 February 2013 (318 pp., Lulu.com, ISBN-10: 1291285822 & ISBN-13: 9781291285826) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries

The Sussex coast has attracted people for thousands of years - for foraging, fishing, trade and defence, and more recently for retirement and leisure. Settlements are destroyed as the sea advances or stranded as it retreats; living here is exciting - and risky. Now that nearly one million people live on the Sussex coast, the problem of managing the relationship between people and the sea has become acute. A landscape history approach is used in this book, drawing on history, geography, geology, archaeology and the latest findings on coastal processes, to describe the trialogue between people, land and sea. This is essential reading for all who love the Sussex coast, are curious about its past and concerned about its future. 317pp, with 135 black and white illustrations.

On Blatchington Beach: A Village and the Sea, by Rodney Castleden, published 3 March 2013 (248 pp., Seaford: Blatchington Press, ISBN-10: 1291335927 & ISBN-13: 9781291335927) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries

The biography of part of the Sussex coast is told for the first time: the central stretch of Seaford Bay. The coastline of East Blatchington parish is less than a thousand yards long, but it has had a surprisingly rich and dramatic history. In 1545 it was the focus of a startling attack by a huge French fleet. In 1809 it was at the centre of the Seven Ships disaster. Exploring the history of Blatchington beach uncovers the stories of many different people: fishermen, smugglers, wreckers, coastguards, soldiers and sailors, drunkards and heroes, murderers and their victims. The biographies of several little-known figures are revealed, some of whom performed remarkable acts of bravery, saving the lives of strangers in the sea.

The Seaford stone axe hoard, by Rodney Castleden and Alex Thompson, published 2015 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 153, short article, pp.203-208) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 18934] & The Keep [LIB/509033] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Forlorn and Widowed: Seaford in the Napoleonic Wars, by Rodney Castleden, published 8 March 2015 (210 pp., Seaford: Blatchington Press, ISBN-10: 1326194739 & ISBN-13: 9781326194734) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/509023]

During the French Wars, 1793-1815, Seaford in Sussex was little more than a village, and a poor village at that. Its days as a port were really over, now that the Sussex Ouse made its way to the sea at Newhaven instead of Seaford. Efforts to turn it into a seaside resort were a miserable failure.
New life was brought to the town when it was militarized, with two batteries, a barracks and the last of the Martello Towers. Seaford was also a rotten borough, with corruption on a grand scale. The book re-creates the town and its struggle for survival.

All is Hush'd: Bishopstone Church and Churchyard, by Rodney Castleden and Ann Murray, published 27 October 2016 (360 pp., Seaford: Blatchington Press, ISBN-13: 9781326801885) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries

The story of Bishopstone church and churchyard in Sussex, with a complete record of all the inscriptions. After intensive recent research, more is known about the history of Bishopstone than about most other English villages. It began as a hilltop settlement in the fifth century - a very early Saxon colony. 200 years later, the hilltop dwellers came down into the valley, where they set up a high-status minster, the administrative centre of an estate belonging to the bishops of Selsey. The beautiful Saxon church was part of this early centre, which flourished a thousand years ago. The book is an indispensable resource for family history and local history. It is also of more general interest because of its glimpses of the Saxon colonization process. It is 360 pages long, illustrated with photos and drawings. There are plans of the church and churchyard, as well as an index, to help the reader locate inscriptions - or even a lost relative.