The Internal Arrangement of the Donjon at Colchester in Essex: a Reconsideration
The internal arrangement of the donjon at Colchester in Essex: a reconsideration 178 The Castle Studies Group Journal No 23: 2009-10 The internal arrangement of the donjon at Colchester in Essex: a reconsideration The internal arrangement of the donjon century,7 which would only have acted as at Colchester in Essex: a reconsideration another propaganda spur to the Normans to Pamela Marshall build a castle there, underlining continuity of authority. Roman building material was Impressive in size, the great tower at liberally used in the construction of the Colchester represents one of the more enig- donjon, though it has to be borne in mind matic early donjons extant in the British that the dearth of good building stone in the Isles, for its early history, development and region, combined with a copious source of design are not entirely typical. While Wil- recyclable Roman ruins, would naturally liam the Conqueror instigated its building encourage such a course of action even around 1074 to 1076, only the ground floor without the added advantage of any sym- was completed, leaving the structure in an bolic connotations. architectural state of limbo. A quarter of a century passed before Henry I granted the The second peculiarity of the don- castle by charter to his steward Eudo, a jon surrounds the lengthy building break, man who had close personal connections clearly evidenced by crenellations fossil- with Colchester, and who may have over- ised within the walls at the top of basement 8 seen the earlier phase of building on behalf level (Phase Ia). Arguments that this was of the former king.
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