THE KOYAL AHCII AEOLOOICAL INSTITUTE. 873

against it on the outside, lint this second widl was Imilt like an aque- duct or arcade on tall and slender ])iers, from whieli spring arches mostly semicircular, but some ])< anted and two iin>bal)ly mucli liiter, above which was the parapet. The arches are about 1'2 tt. span. The residt Wiis to increase the rampart to a walk of 5 ft, with a parapet of 2 ft., and probably a rear wall of 1 ft. Au arcade so placed afforded great shelter for those attacking the wall from without; but to obviate this, while the i)iei-s touched the wall, a space like that for a portcullis, a chase about '2 ft. broad, was left between the arch and the wall, by means of which any one standing at the base of the wall could eftectually be molested with missiles or a long pike. Eighteen arches of this arcade remain. The arrangement is a very curious one, and supposed to be singular. This masque or outer wall may be of late Norman date, but is possibly Early English. The piers interfere much with the earlier dooi-s and windows. The wall where doul)le is 3.) ft. high. There are traces of some kind of building outside a part of the wall. A hole broken through the wall into lilue Anchor yard, shows the rear of the wall, and a little further Soutli is Blue Anchor postern, an original archway in the wall, much cut about and enlarged, but of which the l)ortcuilis chase worked from the battlements still remains. From the j)ostem a very stcej) winding narrow lane leads up into the town, l)etwcen lines of ancient houses, of wiiich two, one on each side, next the gate,;u'e Norman. Both are curious, but that on the South side especially so. It is the shell of a Norman house, of the age of the older jiart of the wall. It is called locally King John's Palace, but is in truth an ordinary Norman private house, and a very curious one. The princii)al room was on the first floor. The roof is gone, but the door and windows remain. These are coupled, small, round-headed, and divided by a short column, with a slightly sculptured capital. The space within the walls is 43 ft. by 4-5 ft. There is a good Norman fireplace, w ith hood and Hanking columns. In the South and part of the East wall is a mural gallery. The house on the Northern side of the lane is 44 ft. by 1.5 ft. Tlicre is a good view of the town wall, and a plan of the two houses, in Parker's " Domestic Architecture of the Middle Ages" (vol. i. p. 34). South of the postern the wall ceases to be double, and is all of one date, and about G ft. thick. lu this part is a flattish rectangular mural buttress tower, much blocked in with houses, but having its South hollow angle crossed by a garderobe. Near this is a high pointed doorway, evidently an insertion, of 24 ft. opening, leading into Collis-court, and al)out Ot) ft. further is the West gate-house. This is a perfect and plain rectangular gate-house, 30 ft. deep by 24 ft. broad, without buttresses, flush with the wall outside, and of bold jtro- jection within. It is pierceil by a high ])oiuted vault, i>f 12 ft. opening. Tlie passage has been a good deal nnitilated with a view to widening it. Near the centre was a good recessed doorway-, the profile of the head of which is still traceable where it has been rougidy cut from the wall. Between this and the inner face are two square portcidlis grooves, and just within the inner entrance is a cha.se, IS in. broad, over the head of the arch. In the vault, in front of the central door-case, are nine holes, about 4 in. 8(|uare, three in the crown line, and three along each haunch. These latter converge towards the central line.