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

by George Thomas Clark

Passing westwards from Mortimer’s Tower, the curtain is seen to rest upon ground a few feet above the level of the lake and a few yards distant from its margin. It is of all dates from Norman to Perpendicular, and is from 20 to 30 feet high outside, and inside less by 6 or 8 feet. Opposite Leicester’s buildings, where the wall is 5 feet 6 inches thick, are three loops, of 1 foot opening, placed in full-centred recesses splayed to 5 feet. They have lighted some original Norman building now destroyed. Of the buttresses outside the curtain, some are original pilaster strips, others are from 6 feet to 14 feet broad, and of a projection from 2 feet to 4 feet, with many sets-off, and of a character decidedly Decorated. On the south face there are altogether fourteen buttresses. At the two south-west angles the wall is capped by two broad, flat buttresses, 10 feet broad and 2 feet projection. They may be late Norman. In the space of 30 yards between these is a shoulder-headed window, of 2 feet opening, and a late Decorated postern, which corresponds with the postern below the great hall. Beyond this a depression in the ground causes the wall to be 40 feet high. This western part is about 112 yards long, and terminates in the Swan Tower. In it is a large archway of Perpendicular date and 18 feet opening, corresponding to the “Plaisance” of Henry VIII., and perhaps intended for the purpose of allowing a boat to be thence launched upon the lake.

The Swan Tower caps the north-western angle of the ward. It is an octagon, but rests upon a base 12 feet high and 40 feet square. The upper part has been removed. The base is solid and the inner floor about 10 feet above the ground outside. The door to the remaining floor is in the gorge. The base of this tower may be either Perpendicular or Decorated. It is said to have been remodelled by Dudley. From the Swan Tower the north wall ran nearly straight 150 yards to Leicester’s Gatehouse, and upon it were two towers, one rectangular and one polygonal. These are gone, as is the wall, excepting one very thick fragment, which seems to have closed the cross ditch at its north end, and probably is provided with a sluice. A little probing and clearing here might bring this into evidence, and settle the breadth of the cross ditch. In front of this wall is the great northern outer ditch of the castle by which this front is protected from Clinton Green.

Leicester’s Gatehouse, built about 1570, is a rectangular building 56 feet by 28 feet, with bold octagon turrets at the angles, which rise slightly above the roof. The basement contained the entrance passage and gateway, and above it are two storeys. The windows are square-headed, of two lights and a transom; and, on the whole, the building is a fair example of its period. The passage has been closed and converted into two rooms, entered by a curious lateral porch, of Italian design, which has been added on. Outside are carved the arms of Beauchamp, and the ragged staff is employed as though it was a Dudley cognisance. The panelling of the interiors and a fireplace are curious, and were brought from the castle. A few yards east of this gatehouse are the remains of a buttressed causeway crossing the ditch, here nearly filled up. This looks old, and is probably part of the original entrance. Beyond this, the ditch deepens and reaches Lunn’s Tower, which caps the east angle of the ward.

Lunn’s Tower is cylindrical, 36 feet diameter, and about 40 feet high, and stands three-quarters outside the curtain. On the outer face are four pilaster strips, 5 feet broad by 6 inches projection, which probably rose to the base of the parapet, now gone. They rest on a plinth, and the tower has two sets-off, of which they partake. Appended to the rear of the tower has been added a sort of half-octagonal turret carrying a well-stair—an early addition. The basement is at the ward level, and there are two upper floors containing fireplaces under segmental heads. The floors were of timber. The only openings are loops: those of the two lower floors are square-headed, placed outside in square-headed recesses, ending below in broad fantails like those of the keep. Within, they are placed in splayed recesses with segmental arches. The basement has a door from the ward, but the upper floors are reached by the well-stair, which also opens on the contiguous curtain. This curtain on either side for some yards has been removed; but fragments remain, and show that a small, round-headed arch sprung on each side from the tower to the curtain and supported a garderobe at the rampart level over the hollow angle. Close in the rear of this tower is a well, lined with ashlar, 4 feet diameter. The curtain south of Lunn’s Tower has been breached for about 50 feet, and beyond this it is old and supports a range of stabling and farm buildings 170 feet long by 25 feet broad with square buttresses, in the centre of which is a large porch with diagonal buttresses and a wide entrance as for a barn, with a round-headed arch. The lower stage is of stone, and above is a stage of brick and timber. It is said to have been built by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, in the reign of Edward II.; but much of it is certainly of far later date—in the late Perpendicular style. The curtain against which it is built is early English or Decorated, and the superstructure of the barn seems to be an addition, placed there when it was decided to have an upper storey. The arches are round-headed and look Decorated, but there are two late Tudor windows. The chapel was a few yards from this building.

Close south of the barn is the Water Tower, a very curious and complete building, early in the Decorated style. It is a mural tower, with no internal projection, having a base 50 feet broad by 30 feet deep, from which it rises as half an octagon, the angles being taken off by two diagonal buttresses, between which, in a projection, is a loop which lights a garderobe. It has a basement and upper floor, and the culvert from the lake discharged under it and washed out its garderobe sewer. In the ground floor is a large fireplace, above which is a handsome chimney-shaft. This seems to have been a kitchen. There is also a mural garderobe. A well-stair, having a spire over its head, leads to the upper storey, the floor of which was of timber, and to the battlements of the tower and of the curtain. The upper floor has a small room appended on the west, with a loop towards the field. The windows are of two lights, trefoil-headed. The roof sloped with a moderate pitch. It was contained within the battlements. Beyond this is a warder’s chamber, chiefly in the wall, but with a slight exterior projection. It contains a large fireplace and a garderobe, and seems of early English or early Decorated date. From hence the curtain was 6 feet thick, and what remains is supported by three Decorated buttresses. Beyond these, a breach of 30 yards extends to Mortimer’s Tower.

The walls of this ward, though much repaired and restored, seem to occupy the original Norman lines, and are probably in many places of the date of the keep. The defences outside the wall are formidable. On the north is the ditch cut in the rock, of great depth and breadth, a very necessary defence, for beyond it the ground is at least as high as the base of the keep. This is Clinton End or Clinton Green, upon which are some banks of earth, traces it may be of the great siege by Henry III., who probably encamped on this side. It is curious that no attempt should have been made to fill up the ditch, without which no engine could have been brought to play with effect upon the keep. Probably the strength of the garrison and the frequent sallies they are known to have made prevented this, or faggots may have been used. From Lunn’s Tower to the Water Tower, the ditch is still filled with water, and from thence to Mortimer’s Tower no ditch was needed, the ground being low and wet and at times under water. Then follows the dam, above which the lake covered the south front, as an arm of it did the west front, as far as the Swan Tower. The north was the weak side, the ground there being high; but opposed to this was the keep and the very formidable ditch. It is said that this ditch could be filled from the lake, and the castle thus encircled with water. If so, there must have been a small dam, probably at the bridge in front of the old entrance west of Lunn’s Tower.

The defences on the south require special notice. From Mortimer’s Tower a bank of earth is thrown straight across the valley. It is 80 yards long, 15 yards broad, and about 20 feet high on the upper or western side. The lower side is strengthened by a ramp in the slope. About a third of the way across, a deep and broad cut, now bridged, lets off the water and has drained the lake; but whether this was the position of the sluice is doubtful. Mortimer’s Tower closed the inner end of this dam, and a curtain wall 4 feet thick defended its eastern face. At its further end are the remains of the floodgate or gallery tower, an outer gatehouse, beyond which is a deep ditch across the dam, which was evidently intended to take the overflow of the lake, and perhaps to drain it if necessary. It was crossed by a drawbridge, the piers of which still remain. This gatehouse is attributed to Lord Leicester, who probably recast it. In substance it is certainly much older. A grand block of stone, worked with Decorated mouldings, has been used in its repairs, and is probably part of the older building, though also thought to have been brought from the chapel. A flight of steps from this gatehouse descended to the lake, and is superseded by a modern farm road.

KENILWORTH CASTLE.
GENERAL PLAN.

Wyman & Sons, Gᵗ. Queen Sᵗ. London.