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 _first floor_ contains the great _hall_,—a noble chamber, 51 feet
by 24 feet, with walls from 12 feet to 14 feet thick. It is covered by
a pointed barrel vault, quite plain, but, with the walls, of excellent
ashlar. The height to the crown is about 30 feet. It occupies the
whole breadth of the building. In the north end is a mural chamber,
8 feet 6 inches by 7 feet 10 inches, which contains the head of the
well-stair from below. This has a door into the hall and another
into the entrance passage. This is the passage of the main entrance,
4 feet 7 inches broad, and 14 feet long, having a door at each end,
but no portcullis. It is the main entrance to the tower. Outside, it
seems to have been approached by a stone arch of about 8 feet span, of
which the springing-course is seen under the door-sill. In the vaulted
mural passage are the opposite doors, one mentioned already upon the
stair-head, the other leading to the kitchen, which occupies the north
wing.
At the other extremity of this northern end of the hall a door opens
into a well-stair, 7 feet 10 inches in diameter, which here commences,
and supplies the upper floor and the roof. The east side of the hall is
pierced by two windows, square headed, in deep-splayed arched recesses
of 7 feet opening, and 22 feet apart. Besides these, towards the north
end is a small light, a mere loop, in a recess of 2 feet 7 inches
opening.
The great feature of the hall, after its fine pointed vault, is a
grand fireplace, 9 feet broad and 3 feet deep, with a projecting hood
of stone, which dies into the wall about two-thirds of the way up,
and is supported by two double half-shafts, with bases and carved
caps and a flowered band above, all in the Decorated style. This
occupies the centre of the south end, and on each side of it, high up,
are recesses of 5 feet opening ending in loops of 1 foot. The hood
is broken down and the fireplace in decay, but its remains are very
striking. Along the west side of the hall are various openings. In the
centre is a window recess, 5 feet 10 inches broad and 9 feet deep,
from which a side opening leads into a vaulted serving-room, 5 feet by
11 feet, which again opens into the kitchen. In the south end of this
side a door opens into the withdrawing-room, and another door into
a well-stair, which here commences, and communicates with the upper
floors of the south wing, and the roof. Near the north end of this side
a low arch or buttery-hatch opened direct into the kitchen. Besides
these openings, there are two ornamental recesses. The one a niche in
the north wall for a statue, about 5 feet high, with a handsome groined
and floriated canopy and a base resting upon a half-shaft, probably for
a statue of the patron saint of the family. Also in the west wall, near
the fireplace, is a sort of sedile, 4 feet broad, with an ogee canopy,
containing on a shield the three cinquefoils, the Borthwick arms. The
walls of the hall seem to have been either painted or covered with
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