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 basement is on the ground level, which is about 5 feet below the
exterior ward. Above it is a first floor, which in the body is occupied
by the great hall, above which is a second floor containing the chapel
and upper hall. Above this is a third floor. The divisions of the
wings are less lofty. The north contains six floors, the south five.
There are five well-staircases in different parts of the building.
Two ascend from the ground level to the first floor and there stop.
Two others commence at that floor and ascend to the roof, supplying
the intermediate floors, and another commences half-way up the height
of the hall, threads two walls as a gallery, and finally rises as a
well-stair to the roof. There was thus a ready access from the first
and upper floors to the battlements in case of danger.
_Basement._—In the body are three chambers placed crossways, east and
west, side by side, all 23 feet long, the central 14 feet wide, the
others 15 feet. The vault springs 14 feet from the floor, and in each,
at the east end, is a large arched recess, high up, narrowing to a
loop. At the springing line of each vault is a row of strong corbels,
evidently to support a floor, a sort of windowless entresol. These
lower chambers communicate by doors, and in the south wall of the most
southern is a recess or cupboard. The outer doorway, 6 feet wide, at
the level of the ground outside, is in the north wall, and is closed
by a stout door, within which the passage descends eight steps. In
the same wall is a well-stair, which ascends from the basement to the
first floor, and there stops. In this, half-way up, is a door into
the entresol over the northern chamber, from which level the stair is
continued to the first floor. The entresols over the other two chambers
were reached by ladders. The whole range clearly was intended for
stores, in case of a siege.
From the north and south chambers doors open into the basements of the
two wings, also vaulted. The north, the prison, is 18 feet by 12 feet,
with a high and narrow loop to the west. In its upper part is also a
small door, from the adjacent entresol, which may have opened upon a
similar floor above the prison, or may have been an opening to look
down into it.
In the left wing is a vault 20 feet long by 12 feet 6 inches broad, and
only 8 feet high. This was reached from the adjacent chamber in the
body, and contained the well. From this chamber, opening in the south
wall, is a well-stair, which rises 10 feet to an entresol, and thence
proceeds to the first floor. This entresol, also vaulted, was 18 feet
by 12 feet. There is a fireplace and cupboard in the north wall, and in
the south a small loop, a mural garderobe, and the door of entrance.
From it a rise of 14 feet leads to the first floor, which is thus 24
feet above the basement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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