Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/449

Rh town from a strip of lower land which slopes towards the river Itchen, and is now covered with dwellings. Along the North front a ditch was cut across the ridge; but the tradition of its being deep enough to admit the sea is probably an exaggeration. The North and East walls were not much affected by the irregularities of the ground, but the South and West fronts were curved and broken from that cause. The South-West angle is largely rounded off. Of gates there were the North or Bar gate, still standing; the East gate, removed; the Spur gate, remaining; the South or water-gate, removed; the West gate and the postern, preserved; Biddle's or Bridle gate, removed; and the castle water-gate, closed up.

The mural towel's were chiefly drum, or half round. The North front is flanked by two drum towers, and West of the Bar is one, and East of it two, half round. Upon the East wall. North of the East gate, was one; and South of it, six, of which one remains, half round, and one rectangular. At the South-East angle, the South wall was prolonged eastwards as a spur tower, covering the ditch; this remains. Upon the South wall there were six towers, including the South flank of the spur gatehouse, and, on the opposite flank, the Bugle tower. All but one are half round. The West wall had many buttresses and few towers. There was one where the South wall of the castle joined the town wall; and near the North end is a fine half-round tower—an addition.

Passing to the details, the North gate, called the "Bar," is a large handsome structure aboatabout [sic] 60 ft. broad by 60 ft. deep in the centre. It is of two stages, pierced below by a central and two lateral passages, and contains above a chamber, 52 ft. long by 21 ft. broad, used for public purposes. In each wing is a staircase. That to the East is old; that on the West may have been so. The side passages are modern. They communicate with the central roadway by two cross arches on each side, of which the two next the North are original, and probably led into the flanking towers. An examination of the central passage shows the original gate to have been Late Norman; at least a round-headed portal there placed is probably in that style, though it has rather a Decorated aspect. Then in the Early Decorated time two bold half-round flanking towers were added, and still remain. At this time the rear was probably re-faced, and four windows and a centre niche inserted, and the council-chamber enlarged, and probably the East staircase added. The Norman gatehouse had an upper room, of which a round-headed door, with a foliated head, remains. Next, in the Perpendicular period, a bold projection, three sides of an octagon, was added to the front. The gateway thus advanced is flanked by two bold narrow buttresses, which run up to a very bold corbel table, having six machicolations in the central face, and three in each of the oblique lateral ones. The battlements are good Perpendicular, and carried round the rear towards the town; one embrasure is occupied by an alarm-bell. This gate has been much injured by restorations. The openings to the rear, archways and windows, have been re-faced; but they preserve much of their old type, and have a Decorated aspect. The main passage has been cut away and widened, and the portcullis grooves are gone. When the ditch in front was filled up, a century ago, all trace of the drawbridge was lost.

West of the Bar much of the wall remains, but is so blocked in by houses as to be visible with difficulty. Forty-six yards from the gate is