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
There is in “Ellis’s Letters” (First Series, Vol. II.) a draught plan,
in Burghley’s hand, of the hall as it was ordered to be prepared for
the trial.
The “great chamber” was 23 yards long with the window, and 7 yards
broad. The length without the window was 21 yards. The window,
therefore, was probably a bay or oriel, of 6 feet projection within.
The draught plan was sent down with the figures blank to be filled in
by special measurement.
At the upper, probably the eastern, end, and in front of the window,
was a chair for the Queen of England. Against the wall on her left,
a bench for thirteen barons; on her right, leaving space for passage
between it and the wall, was a bench for twelve earls. Across the hall,
13 yards from the upper (east) end, and 8 yards from the lower end, was
a bar, extending on the barons’ side nearly to the wall, but on the
earls’ leaving space for passage. Within, close to the bar and opposite
Elizabeth’s seat, was a chair for Mary.
The points of the compass are not marked upon the plan, but it is
clear, from the disposition of the passage, that the door was on that
or the north side, and most probably near to its west end. The door
of a castle-hall would never have opened towards the defences of the
place, but into the inner court.
The block for the execution was placed at the upper end of the hall;
probably, therefore, where Elizabeth’s chair had stood during the
trial.
The fireplace in which, after the execution, the block and bloody
drapery were burned, probably was placed in the centre of the south
wall.
Possibly, during a season of drought, some local antiquary may succeed
in establishing the actual position of the door, the bay window, and
the fireplace.
GROSMONT CASTLE, MONMOUTHSHIRE.
Grosmont is one of five strong places disposed along the right or
south-west bank of the Munnow river, the others being, below it,
Skenfrith, and above it Oldcastle, Longtown, and the fortified house
of Perthir; Monmouth Castle, and the town beneath its protection,
occupied the junction of the Munnow with the Wye. These are some of
the fortified buildings scattered broadcast over the Welsh marshes,
and especially abundant in the county of Monmouth, and the remains of
which, always picturesque, are often tolerably perfect.
In the rear of these castles on the Munnow were those of Brecknock,
Tretower, Crickhowell, and Abergavenny, upon the Upper Usk; and over
the whole of that country there is scarce a hill-top or point of
vantage which is not occupied by some defensive earthwork, showing the
importance attached to it by each of the several races, Celt, Roman,
Saxon, and Norman, who in turn either attacked or defended this devoted
soil.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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