Another or the same entrance led from an upper storey
of the palace. The interior is of the plainest and sternest character.
Every consideration is postponed to that of obtaining the greatest
strength and security. The outer walls vary in thickness from 15 feet
in the lower to 11 in the upper storey. The whole building is crossed
by one wall, which rises from base to summit and divides it into a
large western and a smaller eastern portion. The eastern part is further
subdivided by a wall which cuts off St. John's Chapel, its crypt, and
its subcrypt, each roof of which is massively vaulted. There is no
vaulting but a wooden floor between the storeys of the other part.
There are several comparatively modern entrances.
A short external stair leads to a staircase in the thickness of the wall
on the south side, by which we approach the Chapel. A brass plate on the
right refers to some children's bones found in the reign of Charles II.
They were identified, somewhat conjecturally, with the remains of Edward
V and his brother who disappeared so mysteriously at the accession of
Richard III, and were removed to Westminster Abbey in 1678. Ascending
the stair we come to the passage which led from the palace to
_The Chapel of St. John_ (Pl. VIII).
The chapel is the largest and most complete now remaining in any Norman
castle, and must have seen the devotions of William the Conqueror and
his family.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25