THE ANCIENT DEFENCES OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT 
495 
Ashey Down and one at Nodes Down, which were to be lighted if the 
enemy came in sight. Each parish provided a field gun on a carriage 
which was also in charge of militia. 
The original Castle of Carisbrooke is supposed to have been built by 
William Fitzosborne, Earl of Hereford, soon after the Norman con¬ 
quest. It appears in Domesday Book that it occupied a virgate (20 
acres) of land. The walls originally occupied a space nearly in the 
form of a rectangled parallelogram with the angles rounded, of an area 
of an acre and a half. 
On the north-east angle there is the date 1598, and on the south¬ 
east 1601. Queen Elizabeth added the outworks, consisting of an 
irregular pentagonal breastwork, faced with stone, with five bastions. 
These are surrounded by a deep ditch. They were said to have been 
designed by Genebella, an Italian. 
The entrance gate was repaired and improved by Elizabeth in 1598. 
The second gate was erected in the time of Edward IV. by Lord 
Woodville, about 1465. 
The principal buildings of those remaining, were no doubt, built by 
Elizabeth. Some of the accounts, audited r>y William, Baron of Bur¬ 
leigh, are rather quaint: — 
£ s. d. 
Empcons and provisions, viz., for Boordes, 103 foote. 0 5 5 
Carriadges, 2, viz., one for the Cannon Pewtrell with yron 
woorke to the same £1 4 7 . 
And one for the Culveringe 16s. 8d. in all. 2 1 3 
Bricks, one thousand with carryage 4 myles. 13 o 
A my 11 to grynde corne, bought of Frauncis Porke of Win¬ 
chester 6 6 8 
Heare one Quarter . 2 o 
Joyned Table one . 6 o 
Whelebarrowes, 50 at is. 6d. the pece. 3 15 o 
Pypes to keep the water for the Morter, 2 at 2 s. 6d. the pece 5 o 
Bowdg (budge ?) barel one, and for mending and hopinge a 
water tubbe ... 2 o 
Wellropes, 2 poiz. 300^ at £1 is. 6d. per medm. £\ 16s. 
makinge out newe rope and tarringe of the same 17s. 4d. 
and for a rope for the watch bell I2d., in all with £\ 7s. 
for a newe rope for a gynne, the some of. 7 1 4 
Lambskinnes for sponges, 6. 2 6 
John Hasell for making a treade whele for the well with the 
Gudgeons Shafte and other iron and carpentrie woorke 
about the same, and a platforme over the well-house by 
agreement .. 16 o o 
John Mathewe for paving the well-house and makyng the 
synke through the wall... 200 
John Hazell for digging the trenches for the well whele and 
frame thereof and for the key boltinige of the whele, 
removing the frame of the whele to 1 serve for 2 bucketts, 
and makinge a great duble doore to the kepe..... 1 5 o 
