Page:Medieval Military Architecture in England (volume 1).djvu/409

 Chdteatt- Gaillard. 379 the Seine, is the tongue of rich low land known as the peninsula of Bernieres, a village, which, with Toeni and Venables — names familiar in Anglo-Norman history — is seen in the foreground. The valley on the right, or east, and immediately below the castle, is that of the Gambon, upon which are the towns of Great and Little Andelys ; the former the birthplace — or within a mile of the birth- place — of Nicholas Poussin and Brunei ; the latter half-a-mile lower down, upon the junction of the stream with the Seine, and under the immediate command of the castle, and contemporary with its foundation. Chateau-Gaillard is composed of two principal parts, the castle proper and the outwork : the one covering the whole head of the promontory, the other occupying the only level ground, being the root of the ridge, from which the fortress could be attacked on equal terms. The castle proper is composed of a keep ; an inner ward, of the enceinte of which the keep forms a part, and which has its own ditch ; and an outer ward, within which the inner ward is placed, the two uniting, or nearly so, at the north end. This division of the fortress is therefore concentric. The outwork, in advance of the ditch of the outer ward, has a ditch of its own, and presents its salient or strongest part towards the south. The keep is a tower of which one half, in plan, is round, and the other projects into the ward as a right angle, or spur — a form of tower well known in French castles. It is 48 feet in diameter, or 55 feet taken at the spur. The walls are 11 feet thick, at the spur 18 feet, and the circular interior is 26 feet. At this time it is com- posed of a basement and a first floor ; nor does there appear to have been a second below the ramparts. In the basement is one window towards the west, or exterior, and a rough aperture towards the east, or the inner ward. There are marks as though this had been a door of 4 feet 6 inches opening ; but if so, it was doubtless not original. This keep is not likely to have had an entrance on the ground floor. The first floor has two windows towards the west, and a door to the north. The windows being on the cliff side, and inaccessible, are moderately large. They are of two lights, flat-headed, beneath an equilateral arch. Their internal recesses are slightly pointed. The doorway, also flat-headed, occupies the space of a window-light. In the other space is a loop, commanding the approach. Both are beneath a round-headed arch, the tympanum being closed. There are neither mural chambers nor a staircase within the keep. The floors and stairs were of wood. There is no fireplace, nor visible garderobe, and no well. The spur is solid. The exterior is very peculiar. The lower two-thirds batters con- siderably all round, so as to add strength to the base, and cause a missile dropped from above to be projected outwards upon an assailant. About half-way up this slope there commences from corbels a series of buttresses, which expand laterally as they rise,