Corfe Castle, Dorset. 475 gateway of the upper ward must necessarily, from the disposition of the ground, ahvays have been at the western or lower end of the fosse, and, had a ridge been left as an approach, it would certainly not have been one of almost inaccessible steepness, much exposed to view and to attack, and not defensible by any special work. The wall, from the Gloriette angle along the ridge, nearly to the Plukenet Tower, has been observed to be of regular Norman work, and, according to Mr. Bond, to show evidence of having been returned inwards, as though it extended along the line of the later ditch. Thus it may be, that before King John's time the fortress occupied the present upper and middle wards, and a strip of the lower ward along the foot of the glacis of the keep. This is, no doubt, more probable than that it occupied the whole of the lower ward, covering the same area with the present works. Mr. Bond has been able, by documentary evidence, to fix the date of the great curtain, which connects the later middle gate with the earlier keep tower, at 1236 ; as with such a curtain there must have been a tolerably strong gate, and, as the present gate is some years later, this was no doubt Norman, though probably very late — say of the age of the curtain traversing King John's fosse at the lower end. Perhaps the pointed arch with Norman springing-course, in the wall next the Buttavant Tower, may be of the same period — say the reign of Henry II., though the wall itself may be shown, by the evidence of records, to be later. The lower ward, in its present state, was certainly enclosed towards the end of the reign of Henry III., and in that of Edward I. To this age may be attributed the outer and middle gatehouse, and the four mural towers of the outer ward, as well as the work of the Queen's Tower, with its hall and chapel. The Plukenet Tower may be assigned to the constableship of that baron, 54 Hen. III., or a little later. To this period also is to be assigned the facing of the south wall of the middle ward. The ashlar of this age, though it has not the grand, effective boldness of the Norman work, cannot be surpassed for closeness of jointing and general excellence of workmanship. The stones, from i foot to 2 feet long, and 8 inches wide, are coursed and well bonded, and their angles are as fresh as when newly cut. The excessive solidity of the mural towers upon the west front is very remarkable. Possibly this unusual strength was intended to counteract the danger of being mined, for which the soft chalk offered great facilities.
