The Excavation of the Site of Old Sarum. 335 



area in the middle of the site. It was known that the original 

 timber defences had early been replaced by masonry, the tower or 

 keep being mentioned in the Pipe Eoll of 1130-1, while the 

 " houses," walls, gates, treasury, and well are repeatedly referred 

 to in the accounts of Henry II. 's reign. The first work attacked 

 was the east gate, of which some rubble cores were still visible, 

 but the passage was buried under six or eight feet of fallen masonry 

 and rubbish. This was soon cleared away, disclosing a passage 

 some 36ft. long, flanked by two strong towers, and defended 

 originally by stout outer doors. "Within the doorway on either 

 hand was a guard-chamber with a fireplace. In the north wall of 

 the passage a place has been hollowed out for the porter's seat. 

 The upper part of the gatehouse has unfortunately gone, as well 

 as most of the ashlar facing of the concrete core. 



After the clearing of a way into the castle, operations were 

 begun upon the opposite side of the bailey, where lofty grass- 

 covered mounds indicated the site of large buildings. Work here 

 gradually disclosed the remains of a large block, over 80ft. long 

 and still some 20ft. high, built partly upon and partly in front of 

 the chalk rampart of the original defences, This block contained 

 four chambers— two small ones which have not yet been cleared, 

 and two others of unequal size, which appear to form the base of 

 a large tower, 40ft. square, within. This can now be identified 

 j with " the tower above the postern " mentioned in a Literate Eoll 

 ! of 1246, inasmuch as further investigation disclosed the postern 

 j beside it. This consisted of a narrow passage of masonry through 

 | the rampart, defended by inner and outer doorways, and opening 

 originally upon a wooden bridge across the ditch leading from the 

 i outer bailey. 



Much of the work of excavation has necessarily been devoted to 



clearing the inner bailey of the huge mounds of fallen rubbish, 



and this has been largely effected by the laying clown of a tramway 



i which enabled the de'bris to be carried into the outer area, where 



it has been temporarily deposited until arrangements can be made 



j for its removal. This clearing of the bailey will enable the in- 



■ : vestigators, when work is resumed in the spring, to begin at once 



