THE CASTLE.
About two hundred and fifty yards south-west of the town stands the remains of the castle, a stately edifice, erected by the Lord Treasurer Cromwell, about the year 1440.
William of Worcester states, that the Lord Treasurer expended in building the principal and other towers of this castle above four thousand marks; his household there consisted of one hundred persons, and his suite, when he rode to London, commonly of one hundred and twenty horsemen; and his annual expenditure was about £5000. [86]
This castle was originally intended as a place of defence, and was surrounded by two fosses, the inner one faced with brick, great part of which is now remaining. Formerly it was of great extent, but was dilapidated in the civil wars between the unfortunate Charles the first and his parliament: for the damages thereby sustained, Theophilus, fourth Earl of Lincoln, petitioned parliament in the year 1649.
The part now remaining, is a rectangular brick tower of exquisite workmanship, about one hundred feet in height, divided into four stories, and flanked by four octagonal turrets; and is raised on ponderous arches, forming spacious vaults, which extend through the angles of the building, into the bases of the turrets. [87] Under the crown of these vaults was a deep well, which is now filled up.
The walls are of great thickness, particularly that on the east side, in which are several galleries and narrow rooms, arched in a curious manner, through which communications were obtained with the principal apartments in the several stories, from the great stairs in the south-east turret. The east wall also contains the chimnies.
The windows are of the pointed order, well-proportioned, and contain tracery; those on the south, west, and north sides are large, and from them the principal apartments received light; those on the east are smaller, being designed to give light only to the rooms and galleries in that wall.
The main walls were carried to the top of the fourth story, where the tower was covered by a grand platform, or flat roof, which, together with the several floors, is entirely destroyed. Surrounding this part of the tower are very deep machicolations, upon which, and part of the main walls, is a parapet of great thickness, with arches, intended to protect the persons employed over the machicolations. Upon these arches is a second platform, enclosed with a parapet and embrasures; above which the embattled turrets rise to a considerable height; three of them terminating in cones covered with lead. The cone on the fourth turret is demolished.
On the ground floor is an elegantly carved stone chimney piece, embattled, and ornamented alternately with arms, and treasury purses with the motto “nay je droit.”
1. Ten roundels.
3. A lion rampant. Fitz Alayn, or Bellers.
5. Vairè a fesse. Marmion.
6. Ermine a fesse. Bernack.
8. A bend and chief, Cromwell, quartering a cheque and chief, Tateshall, impaling a fesse dauncette between ten billets, Deincourt.
10. Cromwell and Tateshall quarterly.
Second Row.
2. Bendy of ten. Clifton.
4. Deincourt.
5. Three cinquefoils. a dexter canton. Driby.
7. Barry of six, a bend, Grey of Rotherfield.
In the point of the surbase arch of this chimney piece is the coat of Cromwell.
Over this is another embattled chimney piece adorned with the following arms and devices, in circles:
1. Treasury purse and motto.
2. Tateshall.
3. Saint Michael and the dragon.
4. Quarterly, Cromwell and Tateshall, impaling Deincourt.
5. Cromwell quartering Tateshall; crest, a helmet; supporters two wild men.
6. Under an arch, a man tearing a lion.
7. A lion rampant.
8. Treasury purse and motto.
Above, between these circles, are seven small shields, with these arms: Deincourt, Driby, Cromwell, one broken, Cromwell, Tateshall, and Deincourt; and below seven purses.
The two upper stories also contain ornamented chimney pieces, but they are inferior to those described.
From the top of the castle is a very extensive view of the surrounding country.
Between the castle and the church stands an ancient brick building, which, from the stile of architecture, appears to be coeval with the castle, and is now inhabited. On the west of the castle is another remain, apparently of the same date. Each of these buildings is situated between the outer and inner fosse.
The principal entrance to the castle, with its portcullis and towers, was standing at the north-east corner of the enclosure, when Buck made his drawing in 1726.