Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 2 (of 2)Clark, George Thomas
History
Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 2 (of 2)
Clark, George Thomas
Architecture -- England; Architecture, Medieval; Military architecture
The British camp was oblong, following the figure of the hill. It was
composed of a deep and broad ditch, the contents of which were in part
thrown inwards and upwards so as to form a bank. The area thus enclosed
measured within the bank about 875 yards by 350 yards, the latter being
its diameter at the cliff, by which it is cut off, the northern end
running to a point. This main ditch has probably been deepened and more
or less altered during the Norman period, and it is now connected with
various bastions, hornworks, and caponnières, but its general outline
is sufficiently clear, and it may, from internal evidence, be presumed
to be British. Within the area, rather nearer to its northern end, a
second earthwork, also composed of bank and ditch, has been thrown up.
This includes the lighthouse tower, and is therefore called the Roman
ditch, but there is nothing about it of a Roman character, and it is
far more probable that it was the work of the English, and formed the
inner defence of the castle which Harold undertook to surrender. The
space between this and the great earthwork forms the outer ward of the
Norman castle; the inner work has been divided into two parts. That
to the south, containing the lighthouse, forms the middle ward; that
to the north contains the keep, and is the inner ward. The lighthouse
has been employed as a belfry to the adjacent church of St. Mary,
which is the subject of an excellent memoir by Mr. Puckle, though he
can scarcely be admitted to establish its connexion with the British
church. The two are undoubtedly the oldest buildings within the castle
area.
The _Keep_ and _Inner Ward_ are Norman, of the reign of Henry II., but
the curtain and most of its towers have been refaced or rebuilt, a
great part recently, but more or less on the old lines. The plan is an
irregular polygon, about 120 yards each way, with fourteen rectangular
mural towers of no internal projection, and not rising above the
curtain, which, however, is lofty. Two of those to the south-west take
their name from Magminot and one from Gore. The walls were of flint
rubble, quoined with ashlar, and battering outside at the base, the top
of which is marked by a bold cordon of stone. Upon the sides of some
of the towers are bold machicolated openings from garderobes. The keep
stands detached in the centre of the ward, and within the area, built
against the walls, are several buildings, as Arthur’s Hall, the guard
chamber, and the officers’ quarters, some of early English character,
others modern.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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