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Home , Gatehouse, Portcullis

Original and doors – A Survey

246 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Survivals from the past Original castle gates and doors – a survey The majority of medieval buildings still standing today will have been altered, re- paired, modernised and generally changed many times throughout their lifetime. It is remarkable therefore that some medieval buildings still contain the original wooden doors or gates that were fitted when the buildings were constructed. This survey will attempt to sum- marise the surviving medieval gates in for- tified buildings throughout the UK and Ireland. I should state from the outset that this is only a provisional summary as many castle doors and are of unspec- ified date either because no accurate dating evidence can be obtained for them or, in some cases, the thorough investigation into what might appear to be original doors hasn’t yet begun. Westminster . The Anglo-Saxon Pyx door. The visual appearance of remain- tage guardianship. This survey revealed the ing wooden doors in situ can be deceptive date of the timber used to make this door to as the effects of weathering on timber (usu- be A.D. 1050 and contemporary with the ally oak in the case of castle gates, but not Abbey construction by Edward the Confes- exclusively) are highly variable. Medieval sor, although reshaped for use in a later doors may not appear to be original be- (13th century) door opening. cause their condition today is remarkably fresh and well preserved and conversely, Our survey will consider timber knarled and ravaged timber doors may give gates, doors and grilles that are the impression of antiquity yet may be still performing their original function with relatively recent being constructed using a brief overview of construction methods. ancient techniques or exposed to severe Construction Techniques environmental conditions. Clearly there are many designs of wooden A good case to illustrate this is the doors and no meaningful typology can be Anglo-Saxon door leading to the Pyx established. Chamber in Westminster Abbey, only con- firmed as such in recent times. This inter- If we were to generalise though, nal door was so well preserved and still in castle doors were made of oak, with a daily use, that no attention was given to its double layer of timber forming outer and age until a dendrochronology survey (a inner boards, often set in opposite direc- method of estimating age of timber by tions for strength or decorative effect, e.g. matching tree-ring growth patterns to those one side with vertical boards the other side of known age)was undertaken by Oxford with the boards laid horizontally. Iron nails Dendrochronology Laboratory throughout or roves, often decoratively finished or the Abbey timberwork under English Heri- within metal strapwork, were applied to hold and strengthen the boards together.

The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 247 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Chepstow Castle. Detail. Inner side of wicket . Hay on Wye Castle. Outer side of gate with wicket.

This method was used in shipbuilding of hanging styles were made from fast grown the period also. trees whilst the timber of the inner lattice A small wicket door is usually work was from slow grown trees. This was inserted into one of the larger doors allow- deliberate and no evidence for reused tim- ing the movement of people in and out of ber has been found and demonstrates the the gates without the need to open the pair carpenters knowledge of his materials. of main doors fully. The gates at Hay-on-Wye have Often a latticework bracing on the two layers of oak planks, each about 1½ inner face of the door was attached, formed inches thick held together with strong iron with square section bars. These were nails with decorative heads, passed through known as ‘ledges’ and were either set at the timber from the exterior and bent over right angles or diagonally. on the inner face to hold tightly. The outer boards were vertical and the inner ones The remarkable late 12th century horizontal. castle gates from Chepstow are made from oak boards assembled in vertical lengths on The iron bars attached to the outer the outer face, originally sheathed with face of gateway doors are wrought iron cladding and iron straps, and fastened with huge diamond headed iron the inner face made from sophisticated lat- nails closely spaced all along the horizontal tice work. The latticework on the inner face iron bars that themselves are some 4 – 6 used advanced mortise and tenon joints inches apart that cover the faces of each providing a strong yet decorative bracing. door. Set at 4 inch intervals are vertical iron bars, held in place below the horizontal The oak used on the Chepstow ones, forming an iron grid pattern of im- doors was of a different type on the outer mense strength. and inner faces. The outer boards and the

248 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 249 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Bodiam Castle. Outer side. Portcullis c. 1385. Carisbrooke Castle. Inner side. 14th or 15th century.

The terminology of doors and oak of the portcullis dendro-dated as there door hangings in medieval accounts is often were insufficient tree rings available to varied and unfamiliar to us today. A door accurately sample. Instead they have had a was sometimes termed a ‘leaf’ or the Latin radiocarbon dating conducted within recent folium in contemporary documents. Door years that gave a 95% probability that the jambs have been called ‘doorsteads’ or timber was late 14th century. ‘durnes’, possibly reflecting local or dialect This date places the timber port- terms. The range of terms for all parts of the cullis at the 1385 foundation date of the door furniture are a subject for further study castle and makes Bodiam the only accu- in their own right. rately dated, original timber portcullis left SURVEY in situ in the UK. , East Sussex Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight Bodiam Castle, subject to much discussion The at Carisbrooke Castle was on its military credentials, contains an orig- built between 1335-41 and has a pair of inal, wooden portcullis, positioned in front wooden medieval doors hanging in situ. of the outer gates of the main twin towered These gates are likely to be the original gatehouse to the castle. 14th century gates but some historians (e.g. The castle was built by Sir Edward the old Ministry of Works Guidebook by C Dalyngrigge in the late 14th century. The R Peers) considers them from the following wooden portcullis is encased in iron with century - i.e. 15th. As far as I am aware, no iron spikes at the bottom and these days is dendro-dating has been carried out on the permanently raised above the entrance. The doors. We are left therefore to consider owners of Bodiam Castle since 1926, the dating on stylistic evidence alone, and this National Trust, were not able to have the as we have seen is dangerous.

250 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Chepstow Castle. Inner side. Late 12th century. Hay on Wye Castle. Inner side in situ. Image © RCAHMW, and reproduced with thanks.

The gates have been removed castle gates in Europe and significantly from the gateway on several occasions over altered the dating of the construction of the the last century and taken for safekeeping main gatehouse itself, which until this dat- into storage. The originals are now back in ing evidence was believed to have been situ although the original drawbar, shown constructed between 1219 and 1245. attached in old photographs, is no longer The carpentry techniques (see with the doors. above) used to make the doors are also The doors are of oak in vertical early and push back the provenance of the boards to the outer face and braced on the sophisticated carpentry methods to be inside with square sectioned wooden bars amongst the earliest examples of these set at right angles to each other forming a techniques known in northern Europe. lattice of squares. A wicket gate is inserted Chepstow doors show the earliest into one of the doors. use of lattice bracing in their construction, Chepstow Castle, Gwent a type known previously only from ecclesi- The main outer gatehouse doors at Chep- astical buildings such as the west doors of stow were taken down from their original Peterborough cathedral. position in 1964 and brought inside to dis- The significance of the early date play in the museum on site to be replaced of the wooden doors is such that it brings by replicas. These original doors have re- the construction of the advanced design of cently been dendro-dated to give a felling William Marshal’s twin towered gatehouse date of the timber used of between 1159 – into the late 12th century, making it the 1189. This remarkable survival puts these earliest example of the type in the UK, original gates amongst the oldest surviving Ireland and the Continent.

The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 251 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Dunster Castle. RH leaf - outer side, in situ. . Outer Gatehouse, inner side, in situ.

Dunster Castle Gatehouse, Somerset work to these doors in the accounts for The oldest surviving feature of Dunster 1417 which show that extensive repairs castle is its twin semi-circular towered were carried out to the gates by Sir Hugh gateway of the early 13th century. The Luttrell. - “To a carpenter on the repair of upper parts of this gateway have been much the gates of the lower castle, for 7 days at remodelled and partially obscured by the 3d a day: - 21d. Also for ironwork for the later gatehouse of 1420 built by Sir Hugh same gates: 87lbs at 1¼d by the pound, in Luttrell and positioned in front of and at nails, plates and bands: - 9s ¾d” right angles to the original gate. It can be speculated that if these The lower part of the 13th century doors required extensive renovation in the gateway survives well and the doors hang- early 15th century as described above the ing to this day in the gateway are certainly origins of the doors may well be a century medieval and might be the originals. The or two older bringing them close to the design of these doors is unusual and has the construction date of the gateway. See also normal oak boards some 1½ inches thick CSG Journal pp. 134-136. laid vertically but these doors are covered Durham Castle with iron bars nailed to the outer surface to 16th century oak doors still hanging in the form a grid of 4 inch squares all over the gatehouse leading to the inner of doors, essentially cladding them in iron. Durham Castle - the for a long line The right hand door as we look from out- of Prince Bishops. The gateway and barbi- side the gate, has a small wicket gate insert- can was then remodelled and widened by ed into the larger door and this wicket is Bishop Tunstall (1530 – 1539). The new, contemporary with the main construction. widened doorway, was fitted with a pair of The exact dating of these doors new doors at this time and these are likely has not been done but a record exists of to be the ones still hanging in situ today.

252 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Kilrush Castle. Outer side in situ. Late 16th century. Kilrush Castle. Inner side in situ. © Image Rory Sher- Image © Rory Sherlock. lock.

They are made of oak boards and iron door has a different construction. The left bound with a wicket gate inserted into the hand door has a lattice work construction to left hand door. To the outside face there are the rear and the other door has plain hori- vertical iron strips applied to the wooden zontal boards. surface some 10 inches apart and riveted to Recent dendro-dating has been the door with large round-headed rivets. unable to establish a felling date of the left The original iron bolts of massive propor- hand door (when looked at from outside the tions on the inner face are still in operation. castle) and It has been proposed on stylistic Hay-on-Wye Castle, Hereford grounds to be of c.1300. The right hand door, containing a small wicket gate, has The original gateway of Hay-on-Wye castle produced a dendro date of between 1610- fell into disuse in the 17th century when the 1640 – around the time of the Civil Wars. castle was remodelled into a fine palatial and much of the medieval Kilrush Castle, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland work was incorporated into this new struc- Possibly the only surviving example in the ture. The gateway, and the wooden gates country of original wooden castle doors. within, were essentially closed for good The doors hanging in the ground floor en- and stayed unused until the present day. trance of the late 16th century Tower The remaining timber gates ap- House at Kilrush are thought to be original pear to be medieval and each door is of a and contemporary with its construction. different construction, suggesting one of The doors are of three wide oak the pair of doors was replaced at a later boards fitted vertically with applied deco- time. Externally both doors show vertical rative bracing to the outer face. The bracing oak timber planks with original iron hinges comprises of broad chamfered horizontal and metal nails. Internally the rear of each and vertical pieces and curved bracing to

The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 253 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Byward Tower. Upper room winding gear. Thornton Abbey. Inner side in situ. the upper part of the door forming a rebate Thornton Abbey Gatehouse, Lincoln- for the curved outer stone doorway. The shire whole outer oak face is further decorated The gatehouse at Thornton Abbey is the with a pattern of large square-headed iron largest monastic gatehouse in England. The nails forming both a decorative pattern and massive gatehouse was the main entrance securing the timberwork in place. Clearly to the precincts and were designed to im- this door was as much a display of presti- press the visitor with the wealth and pres- gious carpentry as a barrier to entry. tige of the Abbey and provide at the very or White Tower - By- least an impression of defence and possibly ward Tower actual serious defence with its circuit of The outer defences added to the White walls and ditches, loopholes and machico- Tower by Edward I in the late 13th century lations. included the twin-towered fortified gate- The gatehouse was built between house called the Byward Tower. Although 1377 and 1389 and made from brick and the original doors have long since gone the stone. The gates that still hang today in the portcullis still in situ is likely to be original. entrance passage are the original oak doors During maintenance work in 2001 of the late 14th century. The design of these the portcullis was lowered and examined in doors is very decorative with fine applied detail by historians. The timberwork had timber detailing representing the gothic received some post-medieval restoration tracery of the contemporary windows in the but it was felt that much original medieval church over the usual oak boards. timber remained within its carpentry. The two doors are in a particularly distressed condition although remaining in situ. It is said the gates were attacked by the

254 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Walmgate Bar. Outer side in situ. Walmgate Bar. Detail of RH leaf. forces of Oliver Cromwell during the Eng- about 4 ins. thick and is studded with lish Civil war of the 1640’s and Thornton broad-headed nails; the outer face is made Abbey Gatehouse was attacked and burned. of vertical oak boards with the joints con- The damage to the wooden doors being cealed by cover-mouldings; on the inner inflicted during that attack it is claimed. face the boards are horizontal and conceal the set of three hinges. A small wicket 4½ Walmgate Bar, ft. high and 1¾ ft. wide is let into the N. The only complete gate remaining leaf. These gates are probably 15th century’ on the circuit of walls at York, Walmgate [ref: RCHME: City of York, Volume 2, Bar also preserves a pair of medieval wood- The Defences, p. 42. 1972.] en gates still hanging in situ. The gates date York, City Gates, Portcullises. from the 15th century and hang open at normal times in the 12th century archway. Wooden portcullises survive at all four of The barbican and gateway is now a pedes- the main city gates (or Bars as they are trian route with the traffic, that until recent- known) on the city walls of York and are ly passed right through this remarkable likely to contain at least some timbers of medieval survival, redirected around it, so medieval date although they have all been a close and leisurely inspection of the tim- to some degree restored over the years. berwork can be made. Micklegate Bar, Bootham Bar, ‘The surviving gates, of timber, Monk Bar and Walmgate Bar all have port- are mounted in the inner arch of Walmgate cullises and some with their winding mech- Bar and are now kept permanently open. anisms in place but only one, Monk Bar, is Each leaf is 12¾ ft. high, 6 ft. wide, and in full working order. York city defences

The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 255 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Bootham Bar. Inner side in situ. Monk Bar. Inner side in situ. and its gates, wallwalks and earthworks, and 12¼ ft. wide; it has the usual pointed although restored in many parts, neverthe- ends to the upright members. less represent one of the most complete and The wooden grille hanging in the impressive medieval circuits in the British upper room today is much restored but Isles. some original timber appears to be still Micklegate Bar houses a museum on the within the structure, particularly in the up- upper floors and contains approximately per sections. half of the original wooden portcullis as an Monk Bar portcullis, still capable of being exhibit, although much concealed by post- closed using the horizontal windlass turned ers and information panels attached to it. Of by wooden hand-spikes, has a wooden the four York gateway portcullises, the one grate 14 ft. high and 12¼ ft. wide. It has 12 here in Micklegate appears to be the most vertical members, with the bottom of each complete medieval construction and the one having a shaped pointed metal spike least restored. attached. Bootham Bar was heightened during the The wooden portcullis hanging in 14th century to house a portcullis and a situ on the first floor is likely to contain at barbican. The portcullis is mentioned in least some original 14th century timber documents in 1454-5 and in 1488-9 that although much restored. It was last closed refer to a ‘great gate and a wicket’. The in 1953 and a picture hanging in the room portcullis hanging in Bootham Bar today shows the portcullis closed taken at the contains a small wicket gate on the lower outbreak of WW1 in 1914. section but almost out of sight within the floor in its current fixed position. It has The original winding gear, altered been cut in two at some point and joined in parts, but largely of medieval date, sits together again with metal brackets. The above the portcullis on the upstairs floor. grating is made of timbers 4 ins. by 3 ins. The rooms of Monk Bar and the portcullis in section set 7 ins apart, is now 19 ft high can be visited as part of the Richard III Museum that is now housed in the build-

256 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Thornton Abbey Gatehouse. Outer side in situ.. © Philip Davis.

The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 257 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

Wells - Bishop’s Castle. Outer side in situ. LH leaf. Wells Bishop’s Castle. Outer. RH leaf with wicket. ing. Incredibly, the medieval winding many sites. The gatehouse appears to have mechanism is part of the museum experi- been designed as an accommodation block. ence and visitors are encouraged to have a Within the gateway are what is very likely go at winding the wooden handle and enjoy to be the original 14th century wooden the loud noise made by the ancient metal doors of the 1340’s with an inserted wicket ratchet and pawl as the windlass is rotated. gate of c. 1600 in one door. They are made Thankfully, the metal chains are no longer from oak boards with applied vertical dec- attached to the portcullis below. orative strips to the exterior and studded Walmgate Bar has the portcullis in situ with iron rivets to form a regular pattern. along with the supports for the original Conclusion windlass. The wooden grille is 13½ ft. wide This list represents the examples known or and 12½ ft. high, made of eleven upright brought to the attention of the author; there and ten cross timbers 1 ft. apart. The bottom could well be other examples out there. I of each upright timber has a metal spike would appreciate people making contact attached. should they be aware of further examples Wells, Somerset, Bishop’s Palace Gate- for inclusion in a possible future update to house this list. The gatehouse at the Bishop’s Palace, Many thanks to those who have Wells, was built during the tenure of Bishop helped with information and photographs Ralph (1329 – 63) and was granted its li- for this short article but in particular Philip cence to crenellate in 1341. It is still a Davis, Neil Guy, Paddy & Norman Jardine, matter of debate if the around Derek Renn and Rory Sherlock. the palace, including this gatehouse were Peter A Burton for serious military defence or an assertion [email protected] of power – a common discussion applied to

258 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 24: 2010-11 Original castle gates and doors – A Survey

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