The castles and abbeys of England; Vol. 1 of 2: from the national records, early chronicles, and other standard authorsBeattie, William
History
The castles and abbeys of England; Vol. 1 of 2: from the national records, early chronicles, and other standard authors
Beattie, William
Abbeys -- England; Castles -- England
<g>The Swan Tower</g> forms the north-west angle of the outer wall, at the
meeting of the lake and canal, or wet ditch. Near this, and of an oblong
shape, divided into parterres cross-fashioned, and with a circular space
in the centre, was the ancient garden of the Castle, which communicated
with the Maison de Plaisance already named, and this again with the
strong tower adjoining. In shape it is octagonal, and is supposed to
have derived its name from the swans which resorted hither to be fed by
the keeper. Another of these towers, which forms the opposite or
north-east angle of the outer wall, is considerably larger than the
preceding, polygonal in shape, and contained several apartments, two of
which have fire-places. It is known in the History of the Castle as
“Lunn’s Tower,” and is seen to advantage in the general view of the
Castle from the north-east. Of nearly the same size within, but not
nearly so high, and in its architectural style and proportions deserving
of particular attention, is the Water Tower. It appears to have been
intended for military defence, and used in connexion with the other
warlike outworks by which, on the land side, the castle wall was
protected. The next prominent object in the same line, where the lake
and ditch again meet on the south-east, is Mortimer’s Tower, already
described. Communicating with this, by means of a long gallery, was the
<g>Flood Gate</g>, which contained a “spacious and noble room,” from which the
ladies might conveniently witness the martial pastimes of joust and
tournament in the capacious tilt-yard adjoining, which extended from
tower to tower. The buildings here enumerated form the chief features in
the outer circuit, and succeed each other at various distances along the
embattled wall on the north and east of the castle.
[Illustration]
<g>The Kitchens</g>, three in number, occupied the whole space between the keep
and the strong tower on the north-west. The buildings are in total
dilapidation; but the important office to which they were applied--the
restaurant of the castle--is clearly indicated by what remains. In this
part of the castle--as if the walls had not yet lost the high
temperature to which they had been raised in the times of baronial
revelry--the ivy luxuriates in great redundancy; the lizard sports on
the hearth, and the owl and bat roost together in the larder. Così
trapassa, al’ trapassar’ d’ un giorno, la gloria della--cucina!
[Sidenote: 1114. {]
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