36 SANDSFOOT CASTLE. 



When a school-boy, I, with three boy friends, resolved to 

 clear the steps of the last- mentioned entrance from the earth 

 which, in the course of very many years, had accumulated 

 there. We devoted a half holiday to the object. We began 

 at the top, and had nearly reached the bottom, when I found a 

 small coin, which proved to be a Rose farthing of Charles I., 

 1635. This type is similar to the Harringtons', the difference 

 being, that these bore the Rose on the reverse, in lieu of the 

 Harp, which distinguishes the Harringtons'. 



It is evident that the old map showed the Castle as it was at 

 some early date of its history, and not as it stood in 1859; as, at 

 this time, not only had the rampart, ditch and intervening 

 land between them and the Castle entirely disappeared, but 

 also a considerable portion of the building itself had fallen 

 into the sea. 



As I was one of the school-boys referred to in Mr. Groves's 

 paper (Vol. III., p. 23) I feel quite qualified to give a few details 

 relating to the finding of the stone shot. 



About the year 1855 I was walking, with two other boys, 

 on the sea-shore under Sandsfoot Castle, when we " spotted " 

 the opening of a drain which a fall of the cliff had brought to 

 view. It was directly under the south-west angle of the Castle, 

 and about 30 feet above the shore. The opening was almost 

 closed with earth. We had a strong desire to investigate ; 

 but how ? It was not an easy matter at that time, as the cliff 

 was then nearly perpendicular. I was deputed to make the 

 ascent, and, by the aid of my pocket-knife and a pointed piece 

 of wood, footholes were cut in the face of the cliff, and the 

 upward journey began. At length I reached the drain, and 

 cleared its mouth. Inspection revealed the fact that its bottom 

 was covered by a few inches of earth, and that it extended 

 about six or eight feet in a direct line, when it appeared to be 

 choked by fallen masonry. This ended the first introduction 

 to the drain; but we arranged to pay it daily visits in order to 

 carry on the work, and, in order not to interfere with our 

 school duties, these visits had to be made in the early morning. 

 So, for some time, we rose with the lark, and reached the 



