Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 2 (of 2)

by George Thomas Clark

The hall is 40 feet by 20 feet, the end of honour being the north. The entrance-door is on the middle of the south end. The north end is blank. Of the east side, about the south half is occupied by a large oak window-frame, with square apertures, glazed, reaching from about 5 feet high to the eaves of the roof, and looking into the tower-court. In the same side at the north end a door leads by a stair to the northern apartments and the tower. On the west side, in the centre, is a large fireplace; to its north a window similar to the other, but rather smaller; and to its south a door, opening on a stair, leading to the southern apartments.

The roof of the hall is of open-work, supported by two detached and two engaged principals, one against each gable. The stone floor has lately been replaced by boarding. The three doorways are round-headed, of the age of James I. The aspect of the hall is gloomy, the roof heavy and unskilful, the windows unpleasing, and the walls thin and of brick. There are here four good wrought-iron candelabra about 6 feet high.

The southern apartments upon the basement are, with the exception mentioned, private. On the first floor are the library and drawing-room, and one or two private rooms. The library is panelled with oak to the cornice, and along the upper tier of panels are painted Ferrers and his matches. The fireplace is very handsome, and above it is a large atchievement, carved in black oak, of Ferrers and his quarterings, crest, supporters, and motto. The drawing-room, also panelled and larger, has a good fireplace. Each room has a large Tudor window to the south, and is exceedingly cheerful. The second floor is not shown.

The northern apartments lie between the hall and the north wall, in which the windows are pierced. The basement is composed of cellars, on the ground level, opening from the tower and kitchen courts. The first floor contains a large drawing-room and two smaller lateral rooms. All are dismantled, stripped of the panelling, and in a state of decay. The second floor contains bedrooms, also disused. From this floor a door opens upon the rampart of the enceinte wall, where it is seen to be 7 feet thick, and to have a parapet about 10 feet high. Below is the kitchen-court, and against the wall may be seen a sloping water table marking a roof, probably of an early kitchen. At the other end these rooms communicate with the tower, the floors of which are ruinous. The tower basement is entered from the court. The stairs throughout are in rectangular staircases, and each step is a heavy log of oak.

Between the hall and the west wall is the kitchen, fitted up with a modern roof and appliances, but, no doubt, on an old site. At one end of it is the well, about 5 feet diameter, lined with ashlar, and descending to the level of the river. At the other end is the kitchen-court, in which is seen a closed doorway leading into the basement of the northern apartments. It may be of Decorated or early Perpendicular date.

Looking to the rectangular and oblong outline of the defences, the cross-roads, and the position with one open side upon a river, it is difficult not to regard Tamworth as of Roman origin, or as modelled by Roman occupation. The Icknield-street, in its course from Birmingham towards Lichfield, passes, it is true, no nearer to Tamworth than Wall, the ancient Etocetum, six miles distant, where it is crossed by the Watling-street; but this latter, in its course to Atherstone or Mancetter, passes through Fazeley, only a mile south of Tamworth; and had it not been for its considerable angle at Wall, it would have passed directly through the town. Nevertheless, Roman towns are generally indicated by history or tradition, or the remains of Roman masonry, or articles of domestic use, and these evidences appear here to be entirely wanting.

But whatever may be the origin of the rectangular bank and ditch, there can be very little doubt but that the mound and platform of the castle were the works of Æthelflaed or her Saxon predecessors, the one to support the usual timber stronghold of the Saxon thanes, the other for the huts and sheds of their retainers and their cattle. Probably a ditch included both mound and platform on the three landward sides, and both these and the river front were strengthened by a palisade. As no mention is made of the town walls, no doubt a similar defence crested the bank all round. This is the arrangement well known to have been usual, both in Normandy and England, in the centuries preceding the Conquest, and a good and much earlier local example of it was given by the Romans at Wall, where a few years since the palisades were discovered preserved in a morass which formed their defence in front.

The Normans seem to have begun by building the enclosing wall, the remaining part of which is certainly Norman, probably early, and older than the keep. The domestic buildings were probably at first below the court at the foot of the mound; afterwards the keep seems to have been filled up by buildings. The main entrance was evidently by the upper gatehouse from the town.

The curtain wall cannot be much later than the Conquest. It is clear that it never was prolonged across the top of the mound, as the slope of its rampart walk only points to the level of the top; probably, therefore, when it was built there was a structure of some sort upon the mound. It is also uncertain whether the curtain recommenced on the opposite slope of the mound, and was continued down by the present lodge towards the mill, in which case the area of the castle would have been about 100 yards across.

The present shell, upon the mound, seems later than the curtain. The entrance door and the middle band of the wall seem additions of one age, perhaps of the reign of John or Henry III. The terrace and the oldest parts of the interior are probably later, perhaps of the time of Edward I. or II.