riJOCEEDlNGS AT MKETINGS OF THE INSTITUTE. 371

town from a strip of lower laud which slopes towards the river Itchen, aud is now covered with dwellings. Along the North front a ditch was cut across the ridge; but the tradition of its being deep enough to admit the sea is probably an exaggeration. The North and East walls were not nnich afl'ected by the irregularities of the ground, but the South and West fronts were curved and brukcn from that cause, 'i'he South-'est angle is largely rounded oft". Of gates there were the North or Bar gate, still standing; the East gate, removed; the .Spur gate, remaining; the South or water-gate, removed; the West gate and the jtostern, pre- served; Biddle's or Bridle gate, removed; and the castle water-gate, closed u]). The mural towel's were chiclly drum, or half round. The Nortli front is flanked by two drum towers, and West of the Bar is one, and East of it two, half round. Upon the East wall. North of the East gate, was one; and South of it, six, of which one remains, half round, and one rectan- gular. At the South- East angle, the South wall was prolonged east- wards as a spur tower, covering the ditch; this remains. Upon the South wall there were six towers, including the South flank of the spur gatehouse, and, on the ojtposite flank, tiie Bugle tower. All but one are half round. The West wall had many buttresses aud few towers. There was one where the South wall of the castle joined the town wall; and near the North end is a fine half-round tower — an addition. Passing to the details, the North gate, called the " Bar," is a large handsome structure aboat 60 ft. broad by GO ft. deep in the centre. It is of two stages, pierced below by a ceuti-al aud two lateral passages, and contains above a chamber, 52 ft. loug by 21 ft. broad, used for public purposes. In each wing is a staircase. That to the East is old; that on the West may have been so. The side passages are modern. They communicate with the central roadway by two cross arches on each side, of which the two next the North are original, and probably led into the flanking toweiu An examination of the central passage shows the original gate to have been Late Norman; at least a x-ound-headed portal there placed is probably in that style, though it has rather a Decorated aspect. Then in the Early Decorated time two bold half-round flanking towers were added, and still remain. At this time the rear was probably re-faced, and four windows aud a centre niche inserted, and the council- chamber enlarged, aud probably the East staircase added. The Norman gatehouse had an upper room, of which a round-headed door, with a foliated Iiead, remaius. Next, in the Perpendicular period, a bold pro- jection, tlu-ee sides of an octagon, was added to the fi-out. The gateway tlius advanced is flanked by two bold narrow buttresses, which run up to a very bold corbel table, having six machicolations in the central face, and tlirce in each of the oblique lateral ones. The battlements are good Perpendicular, and carried round the rear towards the town; one em- brasure is occupied by an alarm-bell. This gate has been much injured by restorations. The openings to the rear, archways aud windows, have been re-face«l; but they ])reserve much of their old type, and have a Decorated aspect. The main [)a.ssage has been cut away aud widened, and the portcullis grooves are gone. When the ditch in front was flUed up, a century ago, all trace of the drawbridge was lost. West of the Bar nuich of the wall rouuiius, but is so blocked in by houses as to be visible with difliculty. Forly-six yanls from the gate is VOL. XXIX. 3 o