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 domestic buildings were placed against the curtain on the west
side of the inner ward. The kitchen is thought to have been at the
north end, including within its limits the basement of the north-west
tower. It is, however, more probable that this was the withdrawing
room, placed between the hall and the chapel. A gloomy corner, no
doubt, but the state rooms were evidently in the gatehouse. The kitchen
would scarcely have been designed originally between the hall and the
chapel. The cross wall, still standing, but which looks either modern
or rebuilt, formed the north end of the hall, and the recesses in the
west wall of the curtain carried the hammer beams of its open roof. In
this wall are the remains of a large fireplace, of which the hood is
gone, and the lower part has recently been rebuilt. On either side are
the broken apertures for two windows, and in the wall, near its south
end, a segmental-headed door, now walled up, but evidently a postern.
There are also near this two small windows, one of which seems to have
lighted the gallery and the other the space below it. Of the position
of the gallery there can be no doubt, but the wall behind it, forming
the south end of the hall, and now removed, had no bond either into
the curtain or into the east wall. Most of this east wall, the inner
wall of the hall, is gone. The hall was 30 feet broad. The roof seems
to have been lofty, and part of the weather moulding of its gutter
remains along the west wall. On the floor, in the north-west corner of
the hall, has been built a large oven of stone, the lining of which
is much burnt. It probably was inserted when the castle was used as a
prison.
South of the hall is a considerable space extending to the gorge wall
of Bronwen Tower, and in the east wall of this space are remains of
a door and two windows. It is probable that the kitchen was here,
in the rear of the gallery, and that a row of corbels outside the
east wall carried a lean-to building attached to it and near this;
against the south wall is a rectangular pit, the underground storey of
some building now removed. If the kitchen was at this end, the hall
fireplace was a little below the dais, a very probable position.
The chapel, a later building, was placed against the north wall. Its
east wall and pointed window remain. The south wall is gone. In the
centre of the north curtain is a segmental-arched doorway, evidently
a postern, and nearly opposite to that of the middle ward. It is much
mutilated, and does not seem to have had a portcullis. The wall east
of it is pierced by three loops, 4 feet above the ground level. There
was at least one loop westward of the postern. The well was in the
north-east angle of the court. It has recently been opened a few feet
down.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account