21 



tion we have of it. He says, " The body of the castle is a right 

 angled paralellogram, its greatest length running from north to 

 south. At its north end was a tower on which were the arms of 

 England, supported by a wivern and an unicorn. (These arms, 

 carved in stone, were many years ago removed from the gateway 

 of the castle and affixed to the north wall of the chancel of 

 Wyke Eegis church). The north part seems to have been the 

 governor's apartment, and is all vaulted. Near its south end is 

 a lower building, said to have been the gun room ; this being 

 broader than the other part of the edifice, forms flanks, which 

 defend its east and west sides, and on the south the front is 

 semi-circular ; before there was formerly a platform for cannon. 

 On the east and west sides there are embrazures for guns, and 

 below them two tiers of loopholes for small arms, the lowest 

 almost level with the ground. The north front is nearly des- 

 troyed, but the remains of an arch or gateway show that the 

 entrance was on that side. The whole edifice seems to have 

 been cased with squared stones, the walls were thick and lofty, 

 and the buildings, though small, were not inelegant. Since the 

 ' restoration " it has been neglected and suffered to fall to ruin. 

 The north, east, and south sides were, at a small distance, sur- 

 rounded by a deep ditch and earthen rampart, through which, 

 on the east front, was a gate faced with stone, part of which is 

 still remaining." 



In this description there are several inaccuracies. The lower 

 building on the south side is not semi-circular, but octangular, 

 its eighth side forming the southern end of the main body of 

 the castle. The ground plan I have referred to shows that five 

 of the sides were pierced for embrazures, three of which pointed 

 seawards, the other two covering respectively the shore to the 

 right and left. The sixth and seventh sides are not fully 

 developed, and were not pierced for cannon ; the flanking effect 

 must, therefore, have been produced by loopholes for small 

 arms in the upper story, of which indeed indications are given 

 in Buck's engraving (date 1733). 



There is reason also for objecting to his description of the 



