Rape (district) - Definition and Overview

A rape was a traditional sub-division of the county of Sussex in England. Their origin is unknown, but they do predate the Norman Conquest.

By the time of the Domesday Book, Sussex was divided into Arundel, Bramber, Chichester, Hastings, Lewes and Pevensey rapes. Each was centred on a castle, had a single sheriff and ran as a strip, north-south, from the Surrey border to the English Channel. It is known that this formation was a creation of William I of England, presumably designed to protect routes to Normandy.