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seems to have ceased to be a place of importance, and most likely was of little use, 

 as, since the death of Llewelyn, the Welsh gradually became peaceful. 



Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, was constable of the Castle in 

 Edward IV's reign, and Edward Croft in the reign of Henry VII., but for whiit 

 length of time it was inhabited it is impossible to say. 



The Manor of Clifford and its Castle were granted to Lord Clinton in 1547, 

 for his services against the Scots, but remained in his family a very short time. 

 They now are attached to the Whitney Estate, but at what date and for what 

 reason they were joined to it, does not appear. 



At the present time there is but little of the ruin of the Castle remaining, 

 and it requires a professional and experienced eye to be able to make out what 

 the original plan of the building and the site really was like. There is a descrip- 

 tion of Clifford Castle in Clark's "MediiBval Military Architecture," which goes 

 considerably into detail, and to which those interested in the matter would do 

 well to refer. 



Roughly, the site of the Castle may be divided into three parts. The inner 

 ward, the outwork, and the outer ward. The inner ward is about 100ft. square, 

 and here alone are there any walls standing, originally no doubt there were 

 several towers, but only one is now to be seen. There are two or three garderobes 

 still plainly visible. 



At the north front are two circular depressions marking the situation of the 

 towers of the Gatehouse, and between these is the entrance. This entrance 

 leads from the outer ward, and is raised upon a causeway of earth, so crossing the 

 ditch, which divided the outer from the inner ward, and which ran from the 

 ravine on the east to the river, where a curtain protected it. The curtain now in 

 sight is about 6ft. or 7ft. high, but of course was originally much higher. 



The outwork lies south of the inner ward or central position, and separated 

 from it by a deep ditch. It is of a triangular form some 30 yards on a side ; it 

 shows no trace of masonry whatever, and was most likely a timber structure. 

 Clark says it is a very curious work. 



The outer ward is situated to the north of the inner ward, and is of rather 

 large extent. It was defended on the west by the river bank, and perhaps a low 

 curtain ; on the south by the ditch, across which passed the causeway to the inner 

 ward ; and on the east and north partly by a scarp and partly by a curtain ; also 

 to a certain extent by the ravine. 



In the centre is a mound of earth full of stones, surrounded by a clump of 

 trees, indicating possibly the position of a tower or enclosure of masonry. This 

 outer ward was intended as a place of shelter and refuge for the villagers and 

 cattle during the attacks of the Welshmen. 



The outer ward was approached, as far as can be judged, from the north, and 

 on either side, at some little distance from the gate, there seem to have been two 

 towers, one at the river and the other at the ravine corner, guarding the entrance. 



The earthworks of the Castle are probably very old, but the masonry of the 

 present ruin is not supposed to be of earlier date than the time of Henry the 2nd 

 or 3rd. 



