ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



Edward II. It is not possible to say how much of the present dry moat 

 belongs to the original castle. The situation is at an altitude of 613 ft., but 

 assimilates to that of the church and village. The moat was entirely sunk 

 from the natural surface of the land, and its sections have in recent years been 

 moulded for the formation of the pleasure grounds. The River Blythe runs 

 from north to south near to the house. 



CHARTLEY HOLME. CHARTLEY CASTLE stands on a wooded hill. Its 

 earthworks consist of a mound and an inner and outer bailey separated by a 

 fosse, the whole being surrounded by a double fosse. The main direction of 

 the works is east and west, the mound being at the west end, which is 

 brought to a slight angle. The length of the inner bailey is 83 yds., and 

 the width 43 yds., partly inclosed by walls and bastions. The outer bailey 

 is 66 yds. long by 60 yds. wide. 



To the west of the castle is the site of a moated manor house to be 

 noticed hereafter ; and to the north of this is a very perfect quadrangular 

 earthwork, 57 yds. by 31 yds. within the area, having fosse and vallum on 

 the longer sides, and fosse only on the shorter. A brook skirts the work on 

 the north. The altitude is 3 i 3 ft. 



DUDLEY : CASTLE HILL. This castle has in some respects the most com- 

 manding position of any within the county. It is situated on a high wooded 

 hill rising from a valley far below its site, and encompassed by earthworks of 

 greater magnitude than all others, and facing to a broad open country with 

 the town of Dudley at its back. It presents a great promontory stern and 

 predominant. 



Within a central area a raised mound rises to a considerable height, 

 affording a commanding position for the main part of the defensive works. 

 As to the level of the site, section A B shows that in a horizontal length of 

 424^. there is a rise of 140 ft. At G H, with a length of 5 17 ft., the rise 

 is 1 30 ft. ; and at I J, with a length of 376 ft., a rise of 119 ft. These 

 figures show the precipitous 

 character of the works. The 

 intrenchments measure in some 

 places from 50 ft. to 60 ft. 

 in width, and some 15 ft. in 

 depth. 



The natural hill must 

 have required much labour 

 to bring it into its present 

 form. There are caverns be- 

 neath the hill, such as are 

 found in Derbyshire and else- 

 where. Its nearest altitude 

 on the Ordnance maps is 700 ft. 



NEWCASTLE UNDER 

 LYME. All that remains of 

 this castle is a fragment of a 

 mutilated mound of earth 

 much lowered from its origi- 

 nal height and reduced in area, SITE OF CASTLE, NEWCASTLE UNDER LVME 



i 353 45 



SECTIONS A.B.C.D. 



FEET 

 200 3OO 



SCALE 80= I " 



Heooe 



