The opportunity for historians to visit
the empty shell of the building, and to compare it to other examples, has led
to the conclusion that Colchester Castle originally had no more than two
storeys.
Historians have been misled by the
notion that the Castle once had four floors.
C. Henry Warren wrote of Wheely that, “this insensitive citizen did
actually get as far as removing the two upper storeys (hence the dwarfed nature
of the Castle today), when bankruptcy prevented him from completing his
intentions” (Warren, 1950, 119).
J. H. Round dismissed Morant by stating
“how utterly untenable is the theory that Colchester Castle was never higher
than at present” (Round, 1882, 94) drawing comparisons with the Norman-built
White Tower in London.
Morant’s Colchester volume of 1748
should be read in a new light.
“It suffered from the ill-judged
attempt of John Wheely … many of the Roman bricks were taken away and sold,
with most part of the free-stone at the coins and in the inward arches of the
building. A fine well was destroyed, and
the tops of the towers and walls forced down with screws, or blown up with
gunpowder … but after the great devastations, the remaining walls being so
strongly cemented, that the profit did not answer the charge for further
demolition, he was forced to desist” (Morant, 1748, 7).
This is further supported by an oral
account.
The eighteenth century antiquarian and
engraver, Chelmsford born Joseph Strutt (1749 – 1802) writes at length on
Colchester Castle in his volume entitled ‘Manners’ in 1774 (rediscovered
recently in the Librarian’s Office at Hollytrees, and an omission from
accession).
“I could not learn for certainty
whether the top of the wall had been garretted or not, though an old man, who
happened to be there when I was, informed me that he remembered something like
embattlements at the top before it was so shamefully abused, great part of
which were forced down with screws and gunpowder, and so falling down on the
walls and vaults below, made lamentable havock and devastation, to the eternal
shame of the despicable perpetrators, as it is to the great praise and honour
of the present worthy owner, who takes great pains to repair and preserve this
valuable antiquity” (Strutt, 1774, 27).
This eye-witness account appears to
limit the demolition work to the embattlements and part of the Castle’s roof
only. The “worthy owner” at that time
was, of course, Charles Gray.
Bibliography
Morant, Philip, M.A. The History and Antiquities of the most
ancient Town and Borough of Colchester in the County of Essex. In three books
collected chiefly from manuscripts. With an appendix of records and original
papers. (Meggy & Chalk, Chelmsford, 1815)
Round, J. H. The History and Antiquities
of Colchester Castle (Benham & Co, 1882)
Strutt, Joseph. Manners, Customs, Arms, Habit &c of
the Inhabitants of England. Volume 1.
(T. Jones, London, 1774)
Warren, C. Henry. Essex (Robert Hale Ltd., 1950)
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