The village stood on rising ground, and was surrounded for a distance of a hundred and fifty yards by a clearing.

Part of this consisted of patches of cultivated ground, the rest had been hastily cleared by the defenders.

At the upper end stood a church, and this was converted into a stronghold.

The windows were high up in the walls, and a platform had been erected inside for the sailors to fire from the windows, which were partially blocked with sandbags.
The houses on the outside of the village had all been loopholed, and had been connected by breastworks of earth.

Other defenses had been thrown up further back in case the outworks should be carried.