DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6913#0205
LUDLOW CASTLE, SHROPSHIRE.
Ill
been more adorned than the rest; the chimney-piece has an unusual degree of rude
magnificence, and the corbels of the ceiling are finely wrought into busts of men
and women crowned. A door on the south side of the room, on the ground floor?
opens to a winding passage, which ends in some small gloomy rooms, and on the
left to two deep angular recesses terminated by narrow loops, looking outward.
Adjoining these is a privy, worked within the wall. Each of these towers has a
newel stair-case in an elegant octagonal turret. On the eastern side of the court
was the chapel, the nave of which alone remains, projecting far into the area. See
Plan. Not quite a century ago the whole of this structure was standing, and it
was no doubt of beauty correspondent with the castle. The poet Churchyard, who
beheld Ludlow Castle in its full splendour, thus speaks of the chapel—
"--As trim and costlie sure,
So bravely wrought, so fayre and firmly framed,
That to world's end the beautie may endure \"
He further describes it as richly adorned with the armorial bearings of the monarchs
and nobility who have been connected with Ludlow. The remaining part is a round
tower of ancient architecture, which may be classed with the four existing specimens
in the kingdom of circular naves, viz. those of the Temple Church, London, St.
Sepulchre's, at Cambridge and Northampton, and Maplested, Essex. This tower is
encircled by a band, with a billeted ornament, and it is lighted by three circular arched
windows, with chevron mouldings. See Plan : A.A. The west door is a rich Saxon
arch, overspread with chevron, lozenge, and reticulated ornaments, the imposts
having slender shafts. See Plate I. and Wood Cut 1 and 2. The arch opening to
the choir is in a similar style, but considerably wider and more lofty, E. Round
the interior of the nave, rising from the floor, are fourteen recesses in the wall,
formed by small shafts with indented capitals, supporting round arches, which have
alternately plain and zigzag mouldings. About three feet above this arcade are
projecting corbels carved as heads, capitals of pillars, &c. It is not very improbable
that this tower, as is the case with all those above mentioned, had internally six or
more arches on pillars dividing it into a central area with an aile around it, over
which ran a gallery. The corbels over the recesses in the outward wall might have
been placed for the support of the spring groins of the side aile, which, it is sup-
posed, was lower than the centre or nave. The whole length of the chapel, when
entire, was 70 feet, of which the choir was 42, and the nave 28.
Ill
been more adorned than the rest; the chimney-piece has an unusual degree of rude
magnificence, and the corbels of the ceiling are finely wrought into busts of men
and women crowned. A door on the south side of the room, on the ground floor?
opens to a winding passage, which ends in some small gloomy rooms, and on the
left to two deep angular recesses terminated by narrow loops, looking outward.
Adjoining these is a privy, worked within the wall. Each of these towers has a
newel stair-case in an elegant octagonal turret. On the eastern side of the court
was the chapel, the nave of which alone remains, projecting far into the area. See
Plan. Not quite a century ago the whole of this structure was standing, and it
was no doubt of beauty correspondent with the castle. The poet Churchyard, who
beheld Ludlow Castle in its full splendour, thus speaks of the chapel—
"--As trim and costlie sure,
So bravely wrought, so fayre and firmly framed,
That to world's end the beautie may endure \"
He further describes it as richly adorned with the armorial bearings of the monarchs
and nobility who have been connected with Ludlow. The remaining part is a round
tower of ancient architecture, which may be classed with the four existing specimens
in the kingdom of circular naves, viz. those of the Temple Church, London, St.
Sepulchre's, at Cambridge and Northampton, and Maplested, Essex. This tower is
encircled by a band, with a billeted ornament, and it is lighted by three circular arched
windows, with chevron mouldings. See Plan : A.A. The west door is a rich Saxon
arch, overspread with chevron, lozenge, and reticulated ornaments, the imposts
having slender shafts. See Plate I. and Wood Cut 1 and 2. The arch opening to
the choir is in a similar style, but considerably wider and more lofty, E. Round
the interior of the nave, rising from the floor, are fourteen recesses in the wall,
formed by small shafts with indented capitals, supporting round arches, which have
alternately plain and zigzag mouldings. About three feet above this arcade are
projecting corbels carved as heads, capitals of pillars, &c. It is not very improbable
that this tower, as is the case with all those above mentioned, had internally six or
more arches on pillars dividing it into a central area with an aile around it, over
which ran a gallery. The corbels over the recesses in the outward wall might have
been placed for the support of the spring groins of the side aile, which, it is sup-
posed, was lower than the centre or nave. The whole length of the chapel, when
entire, was 70 feet, of which the choir was 42, and the nave 28.