

THE POOLE TOWN CELLAR. 89 



years after Richard's orders to build the wall at one end of the 



Quay, and distinctly says the piece of wall was at one end of the 



Quay. He says nothing about a gate ; yet Hutchins says " King 



Richard 3rd, according to Leland, began a piece of the Town Wall Q 4 



at one end of the Quay, where in his time (i&45, or a few years * 



earlier) remained a small embattled gate and some of an embattled 



wall." Sydenham follows Hutchins in his account, but goes 



farther and says : " This gate and a portion of the wall are still in 



existence, crossing a narrow lane known as St. Clement's-alley, near 



the Quay, and may be traced westward through several stores." 



There is evidently with both these authors a confusion of the 



fortifications proper of the town, at the north side of the town 



across the isthmus, connecting Poole with the mainland, and the 



wall of Richard 3rd, at one end of the Quay. This St. Clement's 



wall is so situate that I think it of itself disproves Hutchins' and 



Sydenham's assumption that this was Richard 3rd's wall seen by 



Leland. In the first place, Leland could not have seen it from any 



part of the road taken by him, and must have gone especially up a 



narrow lane to find it ; secondly, it is not at one end of the Quay, 



but 166yds. from the end of it, and about 200 from Leland's 



landing place. It is erected, not at the point most open to attack, 



namely, the end of the little channel about the end of Fish-street, 



but as far away from it as possible. There were large buildings 



between the wall and the shore, and those of stronger build. The 



wall was of insufficient strength for defence, and in fact its wall 



is of less thickness than those of the ordinary houses of that time. 



Its height was too little for a point of observation, and, were it 



higher than it is, there were buildings of still greater elevation 



between the wall and the haven, and the aspect of the wall was 



that from whence there was no approach to the town. The steps 



supposed to give access to the battlement are so narrow that no 



man at arms could have mounted them, as I can only do so by 



going up them sideways, and on reaching the platform there is 



neither room to move nor adequate defence for one's body. I think 



we may, therefore, with a clear conscience, destroy all claims of 



