CITY OF DURHAM 



superincumbent weight, some of the main trim- 

 mers show a tendency to resume a level bearing. 



The newels, handrails, capitals, pendants and 

 the recently renewed stair treads are of oak, but 

 the carved panels and boxings of the strings, etc., 

 are of a soft wood, believed to be willow. 



The north-west tower is supposed to date from 

 the reign of King John and was probably built 

 between 1208 and 1217 when the castle was in 

 the king's hands." AH that survives of the 

 former building on the same site are a door rebate 

 and some small portions of ashlar walling of 

 Pudsey's date on either side of the lower chamber. 

 The bed joints of this walling fall towards the 

 north at approximately the same angle as the 

 jointing at the west front of Pudsey's existing 

 building. The massive construction of the 

 lower part of the tower points to the conclusion 

 that it was built primarily as a buttress and 

 prop to the west end of Pudsey's building, which 

 it is evident was in a state of collapse in the early 

 part of the 13th century. It may have been 

 intended for a latrine tower, but probably the 

 lower chamber was a cell or prison. It contained 

 two chambers, the lower 16 ft. by 5 ft. 9 in. 

 with a height of 15 ft. 2 in. to the springing of the 

 arches. Both chambers are vaulted, the lower 

 with three segmental ribs and probably a fourth, 

 averaging i ft. 4J in. wide and about 2 ft. i in. 

 apart, the spaces between them being covered by 

 flagstones. One rib is splayed on both sides, 

 and another on one side only. On the east they 

 spring simply from the walls ; and on the west 

 side the wall below has been robbed for a width 

 of 18 in. from the springing of the arches down- 

 wards except for the portion where the remains 

 of Pudsey's ashlar may be seen. In the west 

 wall is a recess and below a shaft about 2 ft. 6 in. 

 square at top, and 3 ft. 4! in. by 2 ft. 6 in. at the 

 bottom, descending to a depth of 19 ft. 6 in. 

 from the stone siU or step at the top. This 

 step covers almost half the opening of the shaft 

 and appears to be the head of an old loop 

 turned upside down. The opening at the bottom 

 of the shaft leading through the wall towards 

 the west is 3 ft. high and covered with large 

 headstones about lyi in. deep, the inner one of 

 which is badly split at the bearing, and is now 

 built up. Only a 12 in. width of this opening 

 shows in the shaft, the north wall of which hides 

 the remainder. It is probable that this shaft 

 was at one time the private latrine used by the 

 bishops, as above the present entrance there is 

 still a door opening into the bishop's room at 

 the back of the tapestry, and communication 



*' This turret is assumed to have been built during 

 the interregnum of 9 years in the reign of King John. 

 The Pipe Rolls record payment for the repair of the 

 castle and houses at Durham during the 13th, 14th 

 and 15th years of liis reign. 



must have been formed between the two 

 apartments by a flight of steps. Half-way 

 between the latrine shaft and the entrance door 

 is a narrow round-headed window with wide 

 internal splays. In the north wall is a muUioned 

 window of late date with wide internal embrasures 

 which has apparently been hacked through the 

 solid wall and is fitted with a modern sash frame. 



To the greater part of the chamber there is 

 no formed floor except some large stones filled 

 in with rubbish, suggesting that it is of greater 

 depth. The lower portion of the east wall 

 almost suggests that an arch has crossed about 

 this level. On the line of the latrine recess a 

 wall robbed on its face crosses the building with 

 a height of about 2 ft. 6 in., and on the north side 

 of the same recess a second wall rises about 

 2 ft. 8 in. above the last one, and crosses at a 

 slightly different angle. On the outer face of the 

 east wall adjoining the wall of the main building 

 there is a rough semicircular arch almost covered 

 by the ground, which possibly spanned an 

 entrance to a lower chamber or possibly a 

 latrine pit, and formed a portion of Pudsey's 

 original building. 



The upper chamber is 16 ft. by 10 ft. with a 

 height of 16 ft. 4 in. and is larger than the lower, 

 owing to the diminished thickness of the walls. 

 The south end projects considerably into the 

 thickness of Pudsey's north and west walls. 

 It forms a rectangular room, and is entered from 

 the upper hall or Norman Gallery. It is lighted 

 by a single lancet with modern external jambs 

 in the west wall and a double lancet which 

 appears to be entirely modern in the east wall. 

 The vaulting has double splayed pointed ribs. 



Above this vaulted chamber the roof is formed 

 with stone sets falling to a channel in the centre, 

 which in turn falls towards the north wall. For 

 the full length on the east side and parallel to 

 the east wall there are the remains of what 

 appears to have been a dwarf wall, with a space 

 behind filled with rubbish, giving the appearance 

 of having been a latrine for the use of the men 

 guarding the walls; the garderobe seat being 

 possibly covered by a lean-to roof. Apparently 

 a wall existed on the south side, as the jambs of a 

 doorway remain at the south-west corner. The 

 floor is some 2 ft. below the level of the present 

 parapet walk of Pudsey's building, but this 

 latter and the parapets all round the building are 

 known to have been considerably raised. 



The present roof of the tower is flat and 

 covered with concrete supported by steel joists 

 so that the original roof now forms the floor of a 

 chamber. The west side has been refaced, but 

 on the north and the east sides the stonework is 

 in good condition and remains practically un- 

 touched. The parapets all round are modern. 

 The wall facing is of ashlar, and it is evident that 

 a great many of the facing stones of Pudsey's 



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