Report of the meetings for 1900 20^ 



Barbican, Garret, Eounrl Tower (now Clock Tower), Auditor's 

 Tower, Garret, Record Tower, Eavine Tower, Constable's 

 Tower, Postern and Sally Port. 



The Barbican, one of the earliest parts of the present 

 castle, beloug^s to the period of the first Percy lord of Alnwick 

 (1312 to 1315). Adjoining the present porter's lodge, a 

 small patcli of Norman masonry is the sole relic of the old 

 Normau Gateway, which was swept away to make room for 

 the erection of the present Barbican. This, protected as 

 it is by advanced towers, lofty running galleries, and by 

 portcullises, presents a fine specimen of Mediseval Military 

 Arctiitecture, such as one can well imagine would, with the 

 aid of valiant defenders, afford complete protection against 

 a hostile entrance. 



Alnwick Castle is one of the few in this country possessing 

 stone figures upon its battlements, all of which are full length, 

 and posed as if in the act of defending the approach to 

 the stronghold. Above the outer arch of the present Barbican, 

 a sculptured stone panel bears a lion rampant, and upon the 

 cornice the following : — a crescent, the word Esperance, a 

 locket, the words Ma comforte, and another crescent, while 

 on the base is inscribed '' Esperance en Dieu." 



Contemporaneous with the Abbot's Tower, which probably 

 derives its name from its having afforded temporary refuge 

 to the Abbot of Alnwick Abbey during Border raids, the 

 curtain wall that extends therefrom to the Barbican is 

 interesting from the fact that while the lower parts of the 

 wall are coeval with the works of the first lord, the West 

 Garret "^ and the higher courses of masonry below the string 

 course are not earlier than the time of the second Earl of 

 Northumberland. The Abbot's Tower, three stories in height, 

 is architecturally interesting in regard to doors, windows, 

 and stone vaulting. 



Formerly on the north side of the road that leads from 

 the Barbican to the second Gateway stood the ancient " Checker 

 House " : whilst its principal chambers on the second floor 



* These " Garrets " on curtain walls should be thought of in the 

 sense of the kindred French word " guerite," for indeed many of 

 them are, in shape, simply gigantic stone sentry -boxes. 



