The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 328, August 23, 1828Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 328, August 23, 1828
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
For the description we are indebted to a MS. account of Anthony Wood, in
the Bodleian library, who informs us that at one of its entrances was "a
large bridge, which led into a long and broad entry, and so to the chief
gate of the castle, the entry itself being fortified, on each side, with
a large embattled wall; and having several passages above, from one side
to the other, with open spaces between them, through which, in times of
storm, whenever any enemy had broken through the first gates of the
bridge, and was gotten into the entry, scalding water or stones might be
cast down to annoy them."
On passing through the gate, at the end of this long entry, the
fortification stretched itself, on the left hand, in a straight line,
till it came to a _round_ tower, that was rebuilt in the 19th of Henry
III.[1] And from thence went a fair embattled wall, guarded for the most
part with the mill-stream underneath, till it came to the high tower
joining to St. George's church.[2]
From hence, says the manuscript, the wall went to another gate, now
quite down, opposite to the abovementioned; and leading to Osney, over
another bridge; close to which joined that lofty and eminent mount,
sometime crowned with an embattled tower. The manuscript adds, that for
the greater defence of this castle, there was, on one of the sides of
it, _a barbican_; which seems to have not merely been a single tower,
but (according to an ancient deed) _a place_, or outwork, containing
several habitations; and from other accounts it further appears, that
there were more barbicans than one.
The ruins of certain other towers of the castle, besides the barbicans,
and those already described, are also said to have been standing till
1649; when they were pulled down to erect new bulwarks for the
parliamentary garrison.
This is an abstract of Anthony Wood's manuscript, which agrees with
Agas's drawing, except that in his sketch, the tower between the
gate-tower and St. George's, is represented square instead of being
round. Antiquarians also infer that in the drawing it was intended to
represent the great keep-tower as standing upon the top of the mount,
and not by the side of it.[3]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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