A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



on the isthmus of a small peninsula formed by the windings of the River 

 Waveney, and covered the ford at this point. The later mediaeval adapta- 

 tions for the I 3th-century castle of Roger Bigod greatly altered the original 

 features of the artificial earthen mount. The latter is supported all around 

 by a perpendicular w^all of flint which, on the east, is 20 ft. high ; this is 

 reduced by the rising of the ground to 18 ft. on the north and 9 ft. 6 in. on 

 the west, with the greater height of i 2 ft. on the south, increasing towards the 

 east. Between the two flanking towers of the entrance the height is 6 ft. 



The middle of the mount sustains the ruins of a shell keep within 

 which is a well ; around the edge of the flint-built mount another shell 

 surrounded the first, and between the two are two shafts descending into a 

 subterranean chamber 14 ft. square and 14 ft. high. On the south and south- 

 west of the mount are the massive remains of the vallum formerly surrounding 



SCALC OF reCT 



O 100 ZOO 300 

 i I I I 



Clare Castli 



594 



