Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 1 (of 2)Clark, George Thomas
History
Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 1 (of 2)
Clark, George Thomas
Architecture -- England; Architecture, Medieval; Military architecture
The two other towers cap the northern angles of the ward, and flank the
main gateway. They are of irregular form, semicircular to the field and
angular within. In diameter they are about 40 feet, and about the same
height. They are of two stages, which have been domed. The walls of
these four towers are from 14 feet to 16 feet thick. They are of flint
faced with brick.
Between the gate-tower is the gateway, composed of a larger and smaller
portal, the latter very narrow. The present work is modern, but no
doubt in this double entry represents the earlier openings. The ditch,
two detached piers standing in it, and with these any traces of the
drawbridge, are concealed by the modern causeway.
In the west curtain, near the south-west tower, a flight of steps
beneath hanging arches of brick descends from the ward level in the
direction of the foot of the wall. This is much encumbered with ruin,
but seems to have been a postern, opening upon the ditch.
All the works of this outer ward are of flint, rubble-faced with brick,
which material forms the lines of the embrasures. The quoins are
sometimes of ashlar, as are the extensive string-courses and bands, and
the dressings of the openings. Traces of herring-bone work in its west
curtain, outside, will be accounted for afterwards.
As the original castle was confined to the inner ward, its ditch
everywhere encircled it. When the outer ward was added, the intercepted
portion of the ditch was partially filled up, but the new work was
included in a new ditch, which was an accurate prolongation of the old
one, of equal depth and breadth, and continued in the same direction.
Accurate observation will, however, detect two slight shoulders in the
counterscarp, showing where began the curve of the old ditch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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