DESCRIPTION.
The position and dimensions of the castle were worthy of the great barons by whom it was constructed, and far too noble for the events with which its name is associated. North-east of, and one-third of a mile from, the market-cross of Pontefract, there is seen a very remarkable table of rock, oval in form, the sides of which are in part a steep slope and in part a cliff of from 30 feet to 40 feet high, rising out of a talus, which, on the north, south, and eastern faces, descends into two deep natural valleys, which unite on the north-eastern front. At the south-west end is also a natural depression dividing the rock from the town, and which has been deepened somewhat by art, as has the cliff been scarped and, where necessary, revetted, so that the general result was the production of an almost impregnable stronghold. This description, however, requires, as regards the east front, some little addition. Here, immediately beyond the wall, is a ditch nearly all artificial, and beyond it a nearly level area, beyond which, again, is the natural valley. As it was necessary to cover the ground, it was walled and converted into what was called the barbican, but was really a double ward outside the castle, covering its main entrance. The castle was thus composed of the main ward, occupying the table-rock, and the outer and inner barbicans covering its south-east front and entrance.
The main ward occupies the whole summit of the rock. It is in plan an irregular oval, 150 yards north-east and south-west, and 103 yards in its cross diameter. Of this area a segment at the south-west end, 37 yards deep or on the “sagitta,” is occupied by a raised platform containing the keep and remains of various buildings, and a smaller segment at the north-east end is occupied by the bases of other buildings, including the chapel. If the arrangement be likened to the deck of a ship, the keep end will be the poop, &c., the other end the forecastle, and the large intermediate space the waist.
The present appearance of the north-eastern platform is a bank of earth, irregular, and about 20 feet above the area level. In plan it is rather semilunar, and is evidently composed of the basements and ruins of buildings, the soft red sandstone of which readily becomes converted into soil. The face towards the ward, standing from 2 feet to 6 feet high, shows the base mouldings and plinth of a range of buildings that rose from the main ward level, and seems to have included a polygonal tower or turret. All that is visible is of excellent ashlar, with stones of large size, and the workmanship is mainly in the Perpendicular style. In the rear, along the edge of a cliff, is the curtain-wall, part of which is a revetment filling up the irregularities of the rock. This platform is returned a few yards along the east front against the curtain, and there is seen the basement of St. Clement’s Chapel, more than once rebuilt since its first Norman foundation.
The curtain along the crest, where the cliff is high, seems to have been a mere parapet. On the north-east point, where there is only a slope, the curtain is very lofty, and of prodigious thickness; much is broken away, but what remains shows it to have been 15 feet thick, at its base and 11 feet at 24 feet high. The main gate was in the curtain near the south end. It seems, from the drawings, to have been covered by a small square tower, the exterior and interior portals not being opposite.
The main interest of the castle attaches to its south-western platform. This is about 20 feet above the main ward, and at its southern angle there is raised upon it a conical mound, flat-topped, and rising about as high again.
Towards the main ward this platform is supported by a revetment wall from 12 feet to 14 feet high, of good rough ashlar, of large stones, having a base of 4 feet, and above this a plinth of about 4 feet more, the two offsets being plain chamfers. This, no doubt, carried a curtain wall. In the wall, near its centre, is a broad-arched recess, called “the King’s Seat,” probably from a tradition that Richard II. sat there, which is probable enough. At the north end the platform is returned about 25 yards along the west curtain. Various indications show that this platform was covered with buildings, most of which, like the retaining wall, were of Norman date, and of which the basements remain, though much covered up. Of the enceinte, or curtain-wall that supports the outer face of this platform, only the lower 30 feet, or revetment, remains. This commences some way down the slope, and is prodigiously strong, and built against the rock. At the south-west angle was the Treasurer’s or Pix Tower, the ruins of which still encumber the slope. Passing southward, the wall rises and becomes more perfect. In its exterior base, about 30 feet below the rampart, is a Norman postern, very perfect, and which probably was in the base of the old Red Tower. Then, behind, and on the level with the top of the wall, are remains of early buildings. One presents the end of a round-headed vault of about 16 feet span, of rude rubble, but springing from good ashlar walls, and having a later-inserted window. This is called “King Richard’s Prison.” Near this is a rectangular shaft, 8 feet by 4 feet, but which, a few feet down, is increased to eight feet square, a round-headed arch supporting the upper half. It is now about 40 feet deep, and dry. It is called a well, but is more probably the shaft of a garderobe.
Beyond this rises the mound, the top of which is circular, and about 20 yards across, and 40 feet to 50 feet above the main ward, and much more above the exterior base of the enceinte of which it forms a part. Those who formed the mound no doubt gave it a natural slope all round, and placed their structure on its top, and, making it a part of their line of defence, carried the general palisade to its summit from either side. The Normans, on taking possession, proceeded in a different way. They cut the soft rock, forming the core of the mound, on the outer sides, into the figure of a three-quarter round mural tower, and then faced it with a very solid wall, so that though really a solid bastion, it had all the appearance of a magnificent half-engaged round tower, 70 feet diameter. When this segmental bastion had been carried to a height of 50 feet or 60 feet, that is, to the level of the top of the mound, the wall was continued all round, and the cylinder completed, so that the mound was crowned by a regular shell keep of 60 feet diameter, and probably 25 feet high, which was really, what its substructure only seemed to be,—a tower of masonry. As the rock was of irregular figure, this process was repeated, and a second smaller bastion was formed to the north, and probably a third. Leland speaks of the donjon as composed of three large and three small roundlets; of these only two now remain. These grand bastions still form the finest part of the castle, standing high above the road from the railway station into the town, upon the crest of a steep slope. They are faced with large blocks of sandstone, of excellent open-jointed ashlar work, with a bold set-off at the base. Advantage was taken of the soft character of the rock to excavate the interior into cells and staircases, some of which are still open. In the large bastion, at its exterior base, near a covering angle, a shoulder-headed doorway, a postern, opens into a round-headed passage, partly cut in the rock, and partly vaulted. From this one way leads into a mural chamber; another up a steep flight of steps, cut in the rock, but having a series of shoulder-headed hanging arches to support the roof. At a height of 30 feet this stair leads to an open gallery above, commanding the postern, and from this again ascends, covered, to the base of the keep proper. Boothroyd gives three other excavations, one of which contained the well mentioned by Leland. Besides these the remaining fragments of the keep proper contained the base of a well-stair, probably ascending to the battlements, and a shaft, probably from a garderobe about that level.
The main entrance to the castle was a few yards east of the keep, in the south curtain. From the gate a narrow stair ran up the curtain into the keep, and is still seen. Another, on the other side, still descends from the keep towards King Richard’s prison.
From the keep a spur wall descends the slope, and was intended to cover the approach, as at Hawarden and Coningsborough. It evidently crossed the ditch, and formed part of the barbican. Thus the keep could be reached rapidly and directly by three ways, all narrow and well defended,—one from the outside by a postern, another from the main gate, and a third from the west ramparts. In substance the masonry and arrangement of this keep is clearly Norman, but the whole has been refitted, and no doubt refaced in the Perpendicular period.
Mention must be made of a very curious and early excavation in the main ward. On the surface, a few feet from the king’s seat, a flight of rock-cut steps descends nearly north-west, and at 70 feet distant is the mouth of a square shaft, lighting the passage below. Descending, thirty-three steps lead steeply down a gallery, 4 feet broad, with a hanging roof. A little way down, on the right, are traces of a cylindrical staircase, no doubt the original way in, but now destroyed, with the tower, in the base of which it no doubt was contained. At the foot of the stairs is a plain round-headed door-case, apparently of late Norman date. Beyond this the stairs recommence, and ten steps lower the descent ceases and the passage forks, a short branch running north, and another, a trifle longer, east. Before the fork, part of the passage is vaulted in fine-jointed ashlar, with two plain round-headed ribs. In the wall, on the right, is a round-headed recess for a lamp, and the commencement of another passage, also round-headed, but left as a mere recess. Above the fork opens the shaft, here seen to be a truncated pyramid, about 6 feet by 12 feet, and 30 feet deep. At the fork the salient is occupied by two small oblong cells, with pointed roofs. They communicate with each other and the passages by narrow lancet doorways. The excavation is now called the magazine, and no doubt was so used at the siege; but it is of Norman and early English date, and probably was intended for a cellar. The arrangements of the cells are scarcely suitable for a prison. The present entrance is clearly an addition, opened when the well staircase was disused.
There remain some exterior points to be noticed. Leaving the keep by its postern, and going north-west along the foot of the west face, the wall is seen evidently to be Norman, and near the centre of this front is the original Norman postern. There are upon the face of the wall two broad shallow pilaster strips, 8 feet broad by 6 inches projection, between which is a plain round-headed relieving arch, and below it a segmental-headed doorway, of 4 feet opening, without portcullis, but with a rebate for a door, and holes for two stout bars. This opens into a straight vaulted passage, about 5 feet broad, lofty, also round-headed, of excellent ashlar, and clearly Norman. It runs about 15 feet, and is then choked up. It possibly ends in a well-stair, and might readily be excavated. In later, probably Perpendicular times, this postern has been disused, and the door converted into a loop, and blocked with the usual window-steps within.
Following the base of the cliff along the north front, it is seen to have been carefully made good with masonry; and at the north-west angle, under what was Queen’s Tower, a large rift in the rock has been lined with ashlar, and spanned by a round-headed arch in good masonry. It looks like a large cavalry postern, but is merely a recess. At the foot of the talus on the west front, and about 180 yards outside the wall, are the remains of Swillington Tower, an outwork built by Thomas Earl of Lancaster, and in which he is said to have been imprisoned. About half of the basement remains. The tower was 46 feet square, with walls 10 feet 6 inches thick. It was intended to command the approach from the north, and was of great use during the siege as a flanking defence. Doubtless a double wall connected it with the main ward; but of this there is no trace.
It would seem that at Pontefract, as at many inland castles, a dam was thrown across a valley below the place, and thus provision made for defence and for the working of a mill. This seems to have been the case here below the northern front. The valley was converted into a lake, employed to feed two mills, of one of which traces remained in 1806, and the other, the lower mill, was removed in 1766, when the dam was levelled, and the pool converted into a meadow. Bubwith Bridge, no doubt, crossed this pool, at what is still called “the Wash.”
Nearly all traces of the Barbican are gone, but its memory and site are preserved in Barbican House, Row, and Garden, and there remains a fragment, probably of the lower gate, between Ass Hill and the Castle chain. There were two approaches, one from the town and one from the great church, which met in the outer ward of the Barbican. In front of the north entrance there still remains a good but late Tudor House, into the front of which has been inserted a grand old stone heater shield, bearing the three lions of England and a label of three points, carved in bold relief, a relic probably of the royal occupation of the castle. The style of the shield is early, and the blazon points to the eldest son of a king of England, before Edward III. introduced the lilies of France.
Boothroyd’s bird’s-eye view gives a general notion of the castle before it was destroyed. There were eight mural towers,—the Keep, the Red Tower, the Treasurer’s or Pix Tower, Swillington Tower in advance of the wall, the Queen’s Tower, the King’s Tower, Constable’s Tower, and the Gatehouse. All, save the keep, were rectangular, perhaps Norman. Of these only the keep and the ruins of Pix Tower are traceable: the rest, with the great hall, kitchens, and lodgings, were carefully removed by the Parliamentary contractor, though probably a few pounds spent in excavation would still show the basements, and establish a general plan.
Looking to the general evidence afforded by the remains of this castle, it is clear that it was a strong place in pre-Norman times; those who fortified it placing the mound at what was naturally its weakest point.
The greater part of the remaining masonry is Norman, and not improbably early. The enceinte wall, the buildings connected with it on the west platform, the rear wall of the platform, the old postern, the interior of the keep, and the magazine, all seem to be in substance Norman. Of the early English and Decorated periods very slight traces are left visible; but it is clear that under the House of Lancaster, in the Perpendicular period, much was added. Probably, the buildings on the north-east platform were constructed. St. Clement’s Chapel was rebuilt, Swillington Tower added, the keep refaced, and much done in repairing the chambers and staircases within.
Boothroyd, whose history, with all its imperfections, should be mentioned with respect, gives a copy of the account rendered for the destruction of the works, a plan of the siege operations, and a bird’s-eye view of the castle.
Ruined as is the place, and for many years reduced to be a mere garden of liquorice, enough remains to interest very deeply those who are conversant with our ancient military structures, and especially such of them as are of Saxon or English foundation, and have been recast to suit the Norman fashions of defence.