CHAPEL IN CONINGSBURG CASTLE.

THE chapel is a recess in the solid masonry of the buttress, on the third story, and, from the great difficulty of access, has been admirably preserved from injury. It receives light from three apertures, small on the outside, and gradually enlarging to the interior: the one facing the door is a niche or loop hole, six feet high, that expands in all directions inwardly, till it forms a handsome ornamented Saxon arch. Betwen the pillars on each side is a circular aperture, facing each other, and opening to the air in the form of a rose or quatrefeuille : beneath each of these is a small recess in the wall, arched at the top, in the trefoil form; these small recesses appear to have been for the reception of idols, and it is remarkable, that at the bottom of each recess is a small hole, penetrating downwards in to the wall, perhaps for the purposes of communication. From this chapel there is a door into a very small apartment not more than six feet square, and about seven feet high, with an arched recess in the wall, similar to those in the chapel, but a little larger. The principal room or chapel is about eleven or twelve feet in length, and about eight feet wide at the middle, being rather narrower at the ends; the floor forming a lengthened hexagonal figure. In the view of the great tower, the situation of this chapel is exactly pointed out by the quatrefoil aperture near the top of the right hand buttress, and the accompanying view of the interior of the chapel will convey a much better idea of its intersecting arched roof than any written description.

BROUGHAM CASTLE.

Westmoreland.

MR. GROSE is of opinion, that much of Brougham Castle, particularly the keep, is of Roman origin, and as we have no account of its foundation, it is not easy to deny it, although there is good reason to think that much the greater part of it is of later times. This castle is about one mile from Penrith, and, according to Hutchinson, is seated " on the north side of the Roman Station, Bronovaicum, which has formed an area and out-work one hundred and twenty paces square, defended by the vallum, and an outward ditch, both at this time very discernible. The angles of this camp are very obtuse, like most others of that people. This was the station of a band of Defensores [Camden's Britannia], and in the book of Notices is laid down as being seventeen English miles from Verterae. Brougham was the lordship and castle of the Viponts, included in the barony of Appleby and Brough, given to Robert de Vipont by King John, from whose family it descended to the Cliffords; but who was the founder is not known. On the outward gate, the remains of the arms of the Vallibus, or Vaulx family, are to be observed, being chegney, or, and gules, from whence I am led to conjecture they were builders, or great contributors to the works. The approach to this castle is guarded by an outward vaulted gateway and tower, with a portcullis, and at the distance of about twenty paces, an inward vaulted gateway of ribbed arches, with a portcullis, through which you enter a spacious area, defended by a lofty wall. The lower apartment in the principal tower still remains entire (A. D. 1776), being a square of twenty feet, covered with a vaulted roof of stone, consisting of eight arches of light and excellent workmanship. The groins are ornamented with various grotesque heads, and supported in the centre by an octagon pillar about four feet in circumference, with a capital and base of Norman architecture. In the centre of each arch

rings are fixed, as if designed for lamps to illuminate the vault. From the construction of this cell, and its situation in the chief tower of the fortress, it is not probable it was formed for a prison, but rather was used, at the time of siege and assault, as the retreat of the chief persons of the household." Dr. Burn, in his History of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland states, that "after the death of John de Vileripont, during the minority of his son, who was ward to the prior of Carlisle, we find by an inquisition then taken, that the said prior had suffered the Walls and House of Brougham to go to decay for want of repairing the gutters and roof; that a certain bercary, or sheep-fold, was fallen down for the length of five-score feet, for want of support, that the timber was alienated; and one forge reduced to nothing by the neglect of repairs." The Reverend Mr. Hodgson, in his Description of Westmoreland, infers from the words, House of Brougham, that at that time no licence had been obtained to embattle it, which, if we grant him, it is not sufficient argument that no castle, or Roman ruins existed on the spot previous to the augmentation of the castle, or obtaining a licence for its embattlement; for, seated as this castle is, close to the edge of a beautiful ford, with a hard bottom, and passable almost at all times, it is not likely that the Romans, who knew so well the value of position, should neglect every possible precaution that they were enabled to plant, for the obstruction and command of this passage, when necessary; and on this reason alone, I feel disposed to favour the opinion of Mr. Grose. Dr. Burn says, "that the first Roger Lord Clifford, built the greatest part of this castle; over the inner door of which he placed the following inscription—" This Made Roger." By the inquisition after the death of Robert, son of the said Roger, it was found that he died seized of the Castle of Brougham, with eight-score acres of arable land, worth yearly fourpence per acre; and forty acres of meadow worth twelvepence per acre; that he had no messuages there, but only three cottrells (for that he was not lord of the vill), each of which cottrells was worth twelvepence yearly; that he had there also one water-mill, worth twenty shillings yearly. Roger de Clifford, grandson to the said Robert, built the greatest part of this castle, next unto the east, where he caused his own arms, together with those of his wife, Maud Beauchamp, daughter of the Earl of Warwick, to be cut in stone. There is a pond called Maud's Pond, which bears her name to this day (A. D. 1777). By an inquisition

E

after her death, in the Fourth of Henry IV. the jurors find that the Castle of Brougham, and demesne thereto belonging, were worth nothing, because they say it lieth altogether waste, by reason of the destruction of the country made by the Scots, and that the whole profit of the castle and demesne is not sufficient for the reparation and safe keeping of the said castle." King James, on his last journey out of Scotland, rested here three days, in the month of August, 1617, and was handsomely entertained by Francis Earl of Cumberland and Henry Lord Clifford his son.

This castle having been again laid waste during the Civil Wars, it was repaired by Anne Countess of Pembroke, who caused the following inscription to be carved in stone, and placed in the wall. "This Brougham Castle was repaired by Ladie Anne Clifford, Countesse Dowager of Pembrooke, Dorsett, and Montgomery, Baroness Clifford, Westmerland, and Veseie, Ladie of the Honour of Skipton-in-Craven, and High Sherifesse, by inheritance, of the countie of Westmerland, in the years 1651 and 1652, after it had layin ruinous ever since about August 1617, when King James lay in it for a time in his journey out of Skotland towards London, until this time." [Isa. chap. 58, verse 12.] "God's name be praised." The Countess Anne says-" After I had been there myself to direct the building of it, did I cause my old decayed Castle of Brougham to be repaired, and also the tower called the Roman Tower in the said old Castle, and the Court House for keeping my Courts in, with some dozen or fourteen rooms to be built in it upon the old foundation." [Pem. Memoirs.]

On the decease of the countess, this castle was much neglected, and the dilapidations carried to such extent, that the stone, timber, and lead were sold for £.100, to two attornies in Penrith, and again resold by public auctions in the year 1714;—and many specimens of the ancient wainscotting may still be found among the neighbouring villagers, by whose ancestors it had been purchased.

This castle contains much interesting matter for the antiquarian, as well as the admirer of picturesque scenery; and its distance from Penrith has been considerably shortened by the erection of a new bridge over the Emont at this place, a few years since.

SALTWOOD CASTLE.

Kent.

THE early history of this castle is involved in so much doubt, that instead of obtruding any additional conjectures, I prefer extracting the following account from Harris's History of Kent, published about one hundred years since,* including also, in his account, what he is pleased to call "a pleasant story."- -He says, that Dr. Gale judges this castle to have been built in the Romans' time, and saith, that he found in an old manuscript, that the town of Hithe did once belong to it; and perhaps it was built when Hithe first became a port, for its defence, and that of the adjoining sea coast, against the piratical attempts of the Saxons. The Doctor saith also, that several Roman antiquities have been found at Newington, an adjacent village; and Dr. Plott, in his manuscript about the Roman ways in this country, observed a paved way made after the Roman manner, all the way up the hill, not only to the castle, for that, possibly, saith he, might be done by some of the archbishops, for their own convenience, but a mile further on, towards the Stone-Street Way. And I think it probable enough, that after the Romans had, by the inundations of the sea, lost their posts at Stutfall, West Hithe and Buttolph's Bridge, and did at last remove to the present Hithe, they made that causeway to accommodate the way to Durovernum, or Canterbury. Dr. Plott saith also, that an anchor was ploughed up near Saltwood Castle, in the valley; which seems to indicate that

* In 1719.