Castle in the picture

Dominic has painted a reconstruction of the castle seen from the air '“ as it would have looked in 1350. The result is dramatic and almost fairytale in appearance.

''While it is only educated guesswork, this is the truest picture of the castle we are likely to see,' said Andrew. 'The painting is based on months of careful study of the surviving ruins, as well as examining old pictures of the castle and the conclusions of the various archaeological excavations that have been carried out on the site.

'One of the biggest surprises is that the picturesque flint walls were originally plastered and whitewashed. The castle itself was also much bigger than many people assume today.'

Andrew, who studied archaeology at Bristol, researched the Sussex Archaeological Society collections and medieval manuscripts to produce the most accurate image he could.

Nothing is fixed in stone (excuse the pun). If anyone wants to argue about the authenticity of his findings, they are free to do so through this column.

Copies of the acrylic painting (complete with explanatory text) are now available from the castle museum shop in Barbican House.