158 DUFFIELD CASTLE. 



ford, 52 feet by 46. Colchester keep exceeds even the Tower in 

 size, but then it cannot fitly be compared with others, as its struc- 

 ture and arrangements are different to those of other rectangular 

 keeps, and the uncertainty as to its date does not seem to have 

 been yet cleared up. Or compare it with the largest of the rectan- 

 gular Norman keeps of the next century. The well-known noble 

 instance of Rochester is 70 feet square ; Castle Rising is 75 feet 

 by 64 ; Kenilworth is 87 feet by 58 feet ; Bowes, 82 feet by 60 ; 

 Middleham, 100 feet by 80; Scarborough, 56 feet square; Nor- 

 ham, 86 feet by 64 ; Corfe, 60 feet square ; Porchester, 65 feet by 

 52; and Dover, 98 feet by 96. These measurements show that 

 Duffield castle very far exceeded in magnitude any other defensive 

 masonry throughout the kingdom in the eleventh century, save 

 only the Tower of London, at the centre of government. And of 

 all the numerous castles built in the twelfth century, both royal 

 and baronial, it still held a decided lead over them all, with the 

 single exception of Dover, planted, as Matthew Paris says, to be 

 " the very front door of England," and even in that instance the 

 excess in size over Duffield is merely trifling. 



With regard to solidity of the outer walls, those of Duffield are 

 by far the thickest of any Norman walls of any date throughout 

 the kingdom, Dover only excepted. 



Duffield keep, as was usually the case with the large ones, is 

 divided into two great apartments by a cross wall, and this wall 

 probably ascended to the summit, being pierced in each floor, and 

 with wide arches on the State floor. The Duffield cross-wall is 

 4 feet 4 inches thick, and divided the inner area into two great 

 apartments, measuring respectively 63 feet 2 inches by 41 feet 

 6 inches, and 63 feet 2 inches by 17 feet 4 inches. The position 

 of one small doorway in this wall is shown on the plan, and there 

 was no doubt another at about equal distance from the east wall. 

 About the centre of the great apartment is the base of a central 

 pillar six feet square, the upper angles are chamfered off, and from 

 the marks on the present surface it is clear that a great circular 

 shaft sprang from it. There was no groining of places of this size 

 in those days, and the object of the shaft or pillar was obviously to 



