A third siege thus became necessary, and such was the strength of the place that, even discouraged as the Royalists were, it promised to be a troublesome one. General Rainsborough, who was appointed, met his death before taking the command, which fell at first to Sir H. Cholmley. Cromwell himself was present for a time, and a work on the north front bore his name. He left Lambert in command. Meantime, the king’s death had broken up the party; and ultimate success being impossible, the governor, Morrice, listened to terms. He himself and some others were excepted by name. The difficulty thus created was ingeniously evaded. The excepted persons being reduced to three, they were walled up in one of the subterranean chambers, well provided with food and air, and Lambert was made to believe that they had escaped. The place was then surrendered, Lambert entered March 24th, 1649, and as he did not retain the place, the three culprits got away safely. Parliament now ordered the castle to be demolished, and the only record of the details of its parts is that preserved in the schedule of its destruction. The materials—timber, lead, glass, and iron, sold for £1,779. 17s. 4d., of which £777. 4s. 6d. was the cost of demolition, £1,000 was paid to the town, and the balance of £2. 12s. 10d. went to the Commonwealth. This last creditor, however, received afterwards some arrears amounting to £145. 11s. 7d., and so, in an account of profit and loss, was wound up the history of one of the strongest and greatest fortresses in the North.
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.