Here we pause, before we trace onwards the fortunes of the later lords of Alnwick, that we may direct our attention to the history of their grandest northern fortress-home, Alnwick Castle.
Norman Gateway in the Keep.
The plan of the castle, as it exists at the present time, is shown in our engraving; and it will be seen that five distinct periods in the architectural history are indicated by varieties of shading introduced into the outlines. The extreme extent of the walls from east to west slightly exceeds 1,000 feet; while that from north to south is somewhat less than 600 feet. The varied outline of the space enclosed within the walls, which in a great measure has been determined by the nature of the ground, in an infinite degree enhances the equally noble and picturesque aspect of the edifice. The figures in the plan refer to the various parts of the castle in the manner following:—1, is the Barbican; 2, the Gateway to the second Baly; 3, the Octagonal Towers; 4, the Norman Gateway; 5, the Grand Staircase; 6, the Guard Chamber; 7, the Principal Ante-Room; 8, the Library; 9, the Saloon; 10, the Drawing-Room; 11, the Dining Hall; 12, the Chapel; 13 and 14, State Bed-Rooms, 15, Boudoir of the Duchess; 16, Kitchen; 17, Estate Offices; 18, Laundry; 19, Guest-Hall; 20, Stables; 21, Riding-School; 22, West Garret; 23, Abbot’s Tower; 24, Falconer’s Tower; 25, Postern Tower; 26, Constable’s Tower; 27, Ravine Tower; 28, East Garret; 29, Warder’s Tower; 30, Auditor’s Tower; 31, Clock Tower; and 32, the Avener’s Tower. Thus, the open ground within the circumvallation, as will be seen by the plan, is divided into two irregular spaces, the outer and the inner Baly, the outer being toward the west. Occupying a central position is the Keep, a grand cluster of towers and curtain-walls, enclosing an open court-yard: of these towers, the new Prudhoe Tower, within which is the Library (No. 8), with its lofty banner-turret, is the most conspicuous. Running south, commencing with No. 13 and extending to No. 2, a new range of buildings connects the Keep with the early Percy gateway between the balies, and with the main southern curtain. In this direction, all the buildings, from No. 29 to No. 17, and from thence (with the exception of No. 31, which is one of the flanking towers of the main curtain) to No. 19 southward, and to No. 21 westward, are new, and they have been erected beyond and without the limits of the proper fortification. In like manner, the whole line of curtain-wall, from No. 24 to No. 25, is new. To the north of the Keep the ground falls somewhat rapidly in the direction of the river; from the bridge which here crosses the Aln, the view of The Castle, as its groups of towers and its far-extending walls rise proudly above the encircling woods, is particularly fine and impressive.
The principal approach and entrance to the castle are from the west. Here, to the westward of the original outer face of the fosse, stands the Barbican; an embattled outwork of equal strength and dignity, the work of the first of the Percies, about A.D. 1310. The rounded arch of the entrance gateway here is an example of a usage not very uncommon at the period which has just been specified, and always present in the works of Lord Henry de Perci. The Barbican, which covers an area of 55 feet in length by 32 feet in width, is a perfect example of the style of fortification that was held to be essential for defence against assault in mediæval warfare. One remarkable feature, which is repeated again and again in various parts of the castle, cannot fail at once to attract attention when approaching the Barbican; this is the array of tall figures representing armed warders of the fourteenth century, sculptured in stone, which surmount the parapet, and stand upon the merlons of the embattling, casting their long shadows upon the grey masonry.
The Armourer’s Tower.
Having entered the Barbican, passed under the sculptured Percy lion which keeps guard over the archway, and traversed the entrance tower, we find ourselves within the enclosure of the first or outer baly; here, turning to the left, we commence our survey of the castle within the lines of circumvallation. The curtain-wall, extending from the entrance northwards at a right angle to the Abbot’s Tower, and having midway a garret or wall-tower (No. 22 in plan) built upon it, is part of the old Norman work of the De Vescis, with evident tokens of important reparation a little before the middle of the fifteenth century, by the father of Hotspur, the sixth lord of Alnwick. The Armourer’s Tower (No. 23 in plan), which occupies the N.W. angle of the enceinte, is a noble piece of Edwardian architecture; it consists of a vaulted basement, with two stories above it, connected by a turret-stair: and its external massive effectiveness is greatly enhanced by the square turret at the N.W. angle of the tower, which rises boldly above the embattled parapet, having its own merlons crowned with weather-beaten sculptured warders. Now facing eastwards, and soon making a slight inclination towards the east, again we follow the line of the Norman curtain-walls, until we reach the new Falconer’s Tower (No. 24 in plan), which has been built on the site of the razed early Armourer’s and Falconer’s Towers; the original curtain apparently extended in a direct line from No. 24 to the Keep. Passing onwards along the new curtain-wall due east from No. 24, we follow the line of this wall as it turns towards the south, and at No. 25 in the plan brings us to the Postern Tower, another massive relic of the first Lord Percy, placed at the base of the eminence upon which the Keep stands; this tower protects a postern or sally-port, and it has a curious staircase in the thickness of its walls: it is now used as a museum for Roman and British antiquities. Advancing still further eastwards, but with an inclination to the north, and again following the course of De Vesci’s curtain, we reach the Constable’s Tower (No. 26 in plan), of Edwardian architecture, to which there are three external entrances, one in each floor: one chamber in this tower is used as an armoury. Again, as we follow the guidance of the curtain-wall towards the S.E., we have before us the Norman masonry, with traces of Edwardian, or first Percy, reparation. Here, about midway between Nos. 26 and 27 of the plan, an embattled projection from the line of the wall has been entitled “Hotspur’s Chair,” and to the east of this projection a gap in the curtain is filled up with eighteenth-century masonry; this gap a not very well-supported tradition assigns to a fierce assault by some Scots, who are said to have been so far successful as to beat down this portion of the castle-wall, after which exploit the tradition adds that the assailants were cut off to a man by the garrison. This tower, which is called both the Ravine Tower and the Record Tower (No. 27 of plan), stands at the easternmost extremity of the castle; with Edwardian remains in its walls, it was for the most part rebuilt in the last century: on the ground-floor is the muniment-room, in which the records are kept. From this point our course inclines in a south-westerly direction, the curtain being eighteenth-century work, until again, at No. 28 in the plan, we welcome traces of the early masonry: here another garret occurs, with the junction of the Norman and modern masonry; then yet another succeeds, as once more we follow an eighteenth-century wall until we reach the new Lion or Garden Gatehouse, No. 29 in the plan, through which a road leads to Barneyside, where are situated the extensive and beautiful gardens of the castle.
On the Barbican.