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
In the hall are placed, not inappropriately, the earlier charters
of the family, protected with glass. Perhaps, however, looking at
their extreme value as connected with the castle, it would be safer
to restore them to the muniment room, and replace them for public
exhibition by photographs.
To the north, beyond the lower end of the hall, are the butteries,
kitchen, and pantries, the latter against the curtain. The _Kitchen_
is an irregular hexagon, averaging 13 feet 6 inches in the side. In
the three longer sides are recesses for a fireplace, and hoods over
cooking-places. The original doors were in the buttery on one side
and the scullery on the other, and there were two windows towards the
court. The roof is of open work, very plain, heavy and poor, and very
high up. It is said to have been brought from Wootton Manor House, and
placed here by Henry VII. The scullery, &c. occupy the north-east angle
of the court, and, like the adjacent chambers, is of irregular form,
governed by the general outline of the castle. The larders, dairy, &c.
are against the north curtain, and from the bakehouse a modern vaulted
passage leads to the ancient well, which is in the court. The oven is
in the north-west corner, and two bold drop-arched stone ribs traverse
the chamber, and stiffen its vaulted roof. All these rooms form the
ground floor, and carry an upper story. Their front towards the court
seems to have been modernised, but in substance they are Decorated,
with considerable remains of older Norman walling.
The KEEP is the most interesting part of this very remarkable castle,
since it is a shell keep of a known date. It is nearly circular, about
50 yards diameter, and the containing curtain-wall is about 8 feet
thick, reducing its inner area to near 45 yards. The floor, of earth,
is about 22 feet higher than the exterior ground, and, the wall being
40 feet high inside, is about 62 feet outside, the lower 22 feet being
a revetment, and very thick. Upon its circuit are three half-round
projecting towers or bastion turrets, 20 feet in diameter, of the
height of the curtain, which seems to have been open at the rear, or
closed only with timber. One of these projects to the east, and is
abutted upon by the northern curtain of the castle court. In its base
is a well, under a barrel vault, and above, resting upon this, is the
oratory, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The western or end wall of
the oratory, and the outer stair leading to it, are modern.
The oratory is at present used as a muniment room. The ecclesiastical
features are much injured and obscured. The eastern end is a half
round, and there are remains of the flanking shafts of the Norman east
window, and a small piscina. It appears to have been vaulted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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