Charles H. Ashdown

R H A HD C HA LES . S O W N CONTAINI N G 32 FU LL - PA G E I L L U STRA TI ONS IN CO LO UR A N D A NUM BER OF P LAN S AN D DIAG RAM S IN T HE TEXT A T REB UC HET L O N D O N A DA M AND C H A RL E S B LA C K 1 9 1 1 A G ENT S A M u 1CA Tn: MACMILLAN COMPAN Y 64 8c 6 6 FeH A V E N UE N s w Y ORK Aus nA LAsxA T HE O XF ORD U NI VE RSI T Y P u s s 2 0 FLI E RS L E M ELB O R E 5 ND AN , U N C THE M ACM I L LA N COM Y o r C L T A A A . A A A A, . N D ‘ P N N D D ’ T MA n'nN s H U E 0 B T EE T T T S . O S O S R ORO O , 7 ND , N M CMILL Sc OM Y L T C . A AN PAN , D M A CM I LI A N B ux wmc BOM B Y , A 0 B o w B Z A R Su nn C LC T T 3 9 A A y A U A G E RM Y A STRI AN , U A H RY R SSI BROC K H S D PE HRSS ON UNGA , U A, AU A N SC I VI AN D 1 6 E RST R SSE Lmr zx c AND NA A, QU A , G ERMAN w TzaAN D P R E F A C E CONSID ERING the richness and variety of both technical and po pular literature upo n Castles generally , it may appear superfluous to send forth another book upon the same subj ect , and , if investigation had been at a standstill o r criti barren in results during the past decade , cis m would be justified . But much has come to light upon this interesting subj ect which - undoubtedly revolutionises pre existing ideas , both as to primitive forms o f castellation and o f of those in historic periods . The allocation m the for er to approximately definite epochs , and also o f two great and important phases o f - defined the latter to well periods , are the salient o f features late investigations . Unfortunately the ordinary reader is debarred from becoming W intimate ith these changes of thought, inasmuch vi BRITISH CASTLES as newly acquired disco veries are generally to be found only in the transactions of learned Societies or in disconnected brochures not readily avail able . To bring these ideas to a focus and present them in such a form that the Man in — the Street undoubtedly a member o f the pre ponderating majority—may readily comprehend o ne them is of the aims of the writer, while another is to suggest to the ordinary Observer that the earthworks in our islands entitle primitive man to be considered with much more respect and consideration than has hitherto been afforded him . The monumental work of Mr . T . G . Clark , Medi aeval Mi litar A rchi tecture y , has had no for midable rival since its appearance , but un fortunately it must now be read with care since much of the matter is obsolete . The distinction between the Saxon bark and the primitive type of castle thrown up by the early Norman invaders was not apparent at the time W the ork appeared , and consequently many scores o f castellated works are assigned to incorrect periods . This had the effect of making PREFACE vii the chronology Of the Rectangular Keep in TheHi s tor o theA rt o correct . Unhappily y f f Wa ’ r by Oman followed Clark s lead and with , o f . course , the same result Mr . J . H Round in his Geofirey deMandevi lleappears to have been o neo f to the first , if not the first, differentiate s s l m i between the tarri and the catelu ( . e. the o f Keep and the Ward) medieval writers , who were proverbially loose with respect to their employment of technical terms . Excellent work also in this respect has been carried o ut by Ar racti Mrs . E . mitage , who , by the process of p cally investigating in detail some o f the defences mentioned in Domesday Book , has been able to definitely assign the Motte and Bailey type to N P the early orman eriod . In the recently issued Vi ctoriaHi s tory of theCounties of England the effect o f these discoveries is discernible in those parts relating to castellation , which very carefully correct the errors prevailing in former standard and in local topographical works . With to regard Earthworks , the invaluable investiga tions carried o ut by The Committee upon ” Ancient Earthworks and Fortified Enclosures , viii BRITISH CASTLES acting in co - Operation with the Society o f ul o f Antiquaries , has res ted in a flood light being thrown upon these interesting remains , so that the Old allocation to British , Roman , and Danish influence , so arbitrarily insisted upon in former times according to the contour o f the o r earthwork in question , no longer subsists , only as far as circumstances justify the nomen lature N O c . generally available work is to hand dealing with these subjects in a non - technical manner, and it may be hoped that this endeavour will help to fill the interregnum between the work o f u Clark and a future equally mon mental tome . The thanks of the Author are herewith gratefully tendered to the Congress of Ar chaeo logical Societies Of 1 9 03 for permission to make use o f the plans o f Earthworks issued in their Scheme for Recording Ancient Defensive ” r Earthworks and Fortified Enclosu es , and also to Mr . Cecil C . Brewer for the plans o f various floors in Hedingham Keep . C AR LES H . S DOWN H A H . S T . LBA NS A . C O N T E N T S CHA P T E R I NATURA L F O RTR ESSE S S TRE NG TH EN E D CHA P T E R II F ORTIFI ED HILL- TOPS CHA P TE R III S IMPLE ARTIF ICIA L ENCLOSURE S CHA P T E R IV THE MOTTE AND B AILEY CA STLE C HA P T E R V TH E S HELL K E EP C HA P T E R VI THE RE CTAN G ULAR K EE P x BRITISH CASTLES C HA P T E R VII THE CY LINDRICAL K EEP CHA P TE R VIII THE CONCE NTRIC CASTLE C HA P TE R IX THE CASTE LLATE D MANSION C HA P T E R X THE CASTLES OF S COTL AN D CHA P T E R XI TH E S IEG E AND DEFENCE OF A ME DIEVAL CASTLE I NDEX L I S T OF I LL U S TRATI ON S F ULL PAG E IN COLOUR m nt 1 . Bo d eS e F ro is iece ia Castl , uss x p One of the most picturesque ruins in Sussex and the f most interesting o its class in the Kingdom . It was erected by a veteran of Agincourt and is based upon the plan o f nl those existing in Gascony at that time. O y the encircling walls and towers now remain , the interior having been despoiled . The view shows the Gateway and a portion of f the de ences of the Causeway across the Moat . 2 e D e e . e Maid n Castl , ors tshir This gigantic earthwork looms darkly in the distance, with indications upon its broken outline of the enormous mounds and fo ss es which render it one o f the most impressive e f i exampl s O ts class . As a work of Neolithic man it its commands attention , both by reason of the vastness of l the plan and the ski l shown in design. 3 . Peee eS e v ns y Castl , uss x Within the Roman walls encircling this ancient site a Concentric Cas tle was erected during the time of Edward I . a short portion o f the existing wall being used fo r the new was a o f building . It partly surrounded by a moat, a p rt which appears in the view, while the drum tower occupying the centre is o neo f those designed to protect the approach to the Castle . xii BRITISH CASTLES 4 TheBe m T e T e L . aucha p ow r, ow r of ondon T his building affords an interesting example of the ground floor of a tower o f the thirteenth century with e e as massive walls and deep embrasures . It b cam famous a prison in Tudor times and later when numerous notable persons were incarcerated the carvings on the walls reveal many notable names . e eD e e Corf Castl , ors tshir The scattered ruins of the great Castle o f Corfe o wetheir present appearance to the “ slighting ” by gunpowder in 16 46 f its . , a ter capture by the Parliamentarians Amid the desolation produced the great Keep still rears a massive f as . ront towards the sky, if protesting against the indignity Th eGateway to the inner Bailey is nearly perfect, and the smooth ashlar o f many o f the circular towers remains wonderfully preserved .

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