On
three sides of the fortress is a moat, about sixty feet wide, and cased
with stone. It was probably of great depth in its day, but it is now
partly filled up with earth, and is quite dry and grassy throughout its
whole extent. On the inner side of the moat was the outer wall of the
castle, portions of which still remain. Between the outer wall and the
castle itself the space is also about sixty feet.
The day was cloudy and lowering, and there were several little
spatterings of rain, while we rambled about. The two children ran
shouting hither and thither, and were continually clambering into
dangerous places, racing along ledges of broken wall. At last they
altogether disappeared for a good while; their voices, which had
heretofore been plainly audible, were hushed, nor was there any answer
when we began to call them, while making ready for our departure. But
they finally appeared, coming out of the moat, where they had been
picking and eating blackberries,--which, they said, grew very plentifully
there, and which they were very reluctant to leave. Before quitting the
castle, I must not forget the ivy, which makes a perfect tapestry over a
large portion of the walls.
We walked about the village, which is old and ugly; small, irregular
streets, contriving to be intricate, though there are few of them; mean
houses, joining to each other. We saw, in the principal one, the
parliament house in which Edward I.
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