In the Edwardian castle, the solid keep becomes developed into an open quadrangle, defended at the sides and angles by gate-houses and towers, and containing the hall and state apartments ranged along one side of the court. The term keep is no longer applicable, and around this inner ward, or bailey, two or three lines of defence are disposed concentrically. Such castles frequently enclose many acres, and present an imposing appearance[1].
The parts of a perfect Edwardian castle are:—The inner bailey, the walls of the enceinte, single, double, or triple. The middle and outer baileys contained between the walls. The gate-houses and posterns. The ditch. The inner bailey contained the hall, often of great size, the chapel, the better class of apartments, and an open court. The offices usually were placed in the middle bailey, on the outside of the wall of the hall. The outer bailey contained stabling, at Caerphilly a mill, at Portchester and Dover a monastery, and often a moderate sized mound of earth or cavalier to carry a large engine. The walls were strengthened by "mural," or towers projecting inwards, but flush with the face of the wall, and "buttress-towers" projecting outwards beyond it. These towers were sometimes circular, as at Conway and Caerphilly; sometimes square or oblong, as at Dover and Portchester; sometimes multangular, as at Caernarvon and Cardiff. The Beauchamp tower at Warwick is a fine example of a multangular tower, as is Guy's tower of one formed of portions of circles. Such towers were all capable of being defended independently of the castle, and usually opened into the court and upon the walls by portals, regularly defended by gates and a portcullis. The fine bold drum-towers that flank the outer gateway of so many castles, as Chepstow, Beaumaris, &c., are Edwardian. Circular and octagonal towers of this age frequently spring from a square plan or base, the angles of which gradually rise as a half pyramid cut obliquely until they die away into the upper figure of the tower towards the level of the first story. These towers are common in Wales, as at Marten's tower, Chepstow; Castel Côch, near Cardiff; Carew castle, near Pembroke; Newport, Monmouthshire, &c. This description of tower also occurs next the Constable's gate at Dover.
The gate-houses are distinct works, covering the entrance:
- ↑ Bernard's castle includes seven acres. The Tower of London, within the walls, twelve. Windsor and Caerphilly still more.
