Page:Medieval Military Architecture in England (volume 1).djvu/343

 Caerphilly Castle, Glamorgan > 310 ridge forming the counterscarp of the inner moat ; on the east, the natural bank occupied by the southern half of the grand front ; and on the south, the accHvity of the bank of the lake, rising rather steeply. All these form the outer boundaries of the inner moat. The second, or middle, line of defence is less complete, and is confined to the west and northern sides. It begins with the outer cross-cut, west of the horn- work, which communicates at one end with the lake, and at the other with the middle moat. Beyond this middle line of defence is, upon the north-west, a high knoll, the summit of which has been carved into a redoubt ; towards the north the northern bank, which is protected westwards by the iiorthern brook, and thickened eastwards into a dam wall ; and towards the north-east, east, and south-east, by the continuation of this bank, and the northern half of the gra?td front, built upon it. . These defences are again strengthened — on the north by one division of the 07der 7?ioat, formed by the passage of the north brook, and on the east by the other division extending in advance of the grand front, and connected with the Nant-y-Gledyr, near the great drawbridge. These moats are divided by a sort of causeway at the north-east angle of the outworks, reserved for the passage of cavalry from a sally-port. A part of the earth excavated from these outer moats seems to have been thrown up outside, so as to form banks, one of which is occupied by the main street of Caerphilly, the other by the Nant-Garw road. It is hoped that reference to the plan, and to the bird's-eye view of the lake, will suffice to render the above description intelligible. For the purpose of the description of the castle itself, the whole may be considered as composed of five parts, each of which will be further subdivided. These parts are : — I. — The Grand Front. II. — -The Horn-work. III. — The Redoubt. IV.— The Middle Ward. V. — 'The Inner Ward. 1. — The eastern or Grand Front of Caerphilly is a very fine and complete specimen of a mediaeval line of defence. It is com- posed of a long curtain wall of considerable height and thickness, strengthened on the exterior by buttresses and buttress-towers, rising in the centre into a broad and lofty gatehouse, and terminated, at either extremity, by clusters of towers that protect its sally-ports, and prevent it from being out-flanked. Before it is a broad and deep moat, supplied with water, and crossed by a double drawbridge. In its rear is a second moat, also crossed by a drawbridge. The length of the facade is about 250 yards, the height varies from 20 to 60 feet. It is divided into the great gatehouse, the northern curtain and postern, and the southern curtain and postern. The Great Gatehouse stands a little on the north side of the centre. Its line of front is not exactly parallel to those of the curtains, the plan being irregular. The Gatehouse proper is a lofty oblong building, 50 feet broad by 35 feet deep, and about 60 feet high. It is perforated below by the