Attention has already been drawn to the earliest fortifications in the
county. They were banks of earth and had probably wooden palisades. In
Norman times fortified residences became common and were usually of
stone. The history of a Norman castle was probably often as follows. In
the first place a tower called a "keep" was built and was protected
by a moat and probably by some earthworks. Then at a later date the
earthworks were replaced by walls, which usually enclosed a larger
space than the older fortification. The walls were usually strengthened
by towers, but the keep still remained the citadel of the fortress.
We know that William the Conqueror built a castle on the chalk hill at
Windsor before the year 1086, but we know nothing of its plan or form,
for no part of the present castle can be dated before the reign of
Henry II, and even of that time there are only the foundations and part
of the lower story on the south side of the Upper Ward. The imposing
western wall of the Lower Ward, with its three towers, belongs to the
time of Henry III. The Round Tower on its high mound is the keep of
the castle, and much of it is as old as the time of Henry III. The top
part, however, is modern. Close to the Round Tower is an old Norman
gate which was rebuilt by Henry III and again by Edward III. The
gateway could be closed by doors and also by a portcullis or grille
let down from above, and the portcullis is still in its place ready
to be lowered.
The view of Windsor Castle given on p. 2 is taken from the
Buckinghamshire bank of the river Thames and shows the north side
of the castle. On the left are the buildings which contain the state
apartments; in the centre is the Round Tower. To the right we see St
George's Chapel with its great west end window, and still further to
the right is the Clewer or Curfew Tower with the pointed roof. The main
part of this tower dates from Henry III, and it has been used as a bell
tower since the time of Edward III. The pointed roof is modern. St
George's Hall (p. 78) is in the part of Windsor Castle known as the
State Apartments, and in it the feasts of the Knights of the Garter are
held. It is an old hall, but was much altered by Sir Jeffry Wyatville,
the architect employed by George IV to repair the castle. There was
nearly always a well in the keep of a Norman castle, and this was
the case at Windsor, the well in the Round Tower being 160 feet deep.
There is a great rectangular earthwork at Wallingford which may go back
to Roman or early British times, but in any case it was adopted by the
Normans and a castle was built on the site. The mound on which the keep
was built still exists, but little else of these buildings survives.
No remains of the castle at Newbury exist. It stood on the south
bank of the river Kennet and was built about 1140. The mound upon
which the keep stood is all that we have left of the castle of the
St Walerys at Hinton Waldrist, and a moated enclosure by the side of
the river Loddon is all that remains to mark the site of the castle
named Beaumyss, built by one of the De la Beche family in 1338.
Of Donnington Castle near Newbury we have the remains of some walls
and a gateway with two round towers. The walls are mainly flint with
some stones of various sorts intermingled. There are stone courses and
stone door and window frames. Repairs have been made with brick. The
castle was built in the time of Richard II. It stands upon a hill or
spur which runs out in a southerly direction from the plateau named
Snelsmore Common, and it overlooks the valley of Newbury. On the west
and south there is a steep slope down towards the river Lambourn,
and on the east is a deep valley in the chalk. On the north the slope
up to the Common is gradual, and so the position is a very strong
one. Donnington Castle played an important part in the Civil War of
1642-9, and underwent a long siege in 1644-6.
In former times dwelling places, even though not fortified, were at
least protected by a moat. The interesting old manor house of Ashbury
is still moated on three sides, and the old moat remains in a more
or less perfect state round many a farm in the county.