Outside
the entrance, notice the curved section of the wall on either side,
showing the gateway was designed to be flanked by two round towers.
Look carefully at the curved walls. Do you think that the towers were
ever built? If so, what do you think might have happened to them?
Going
into the castle, look at the big vertical groove in either wall of the
gate passage and the two holes above. What do you think these were
used for?
Looking
back to the gatehouse from inside the courtyard, you can reach the
rooms above the gateway by a set of steps to the right or a spiral
stairway on the left. Thinking back to the last question, what do you
think the room above the gateway would have been used for? Take a
short walk along the walls on either side of the gatehouse. The
windows and battlements give excellent views of Swansea Bay and
Mumbles. Why would this be necessary? Could equally good views have
been obtained by building the castle somewhere else? If so, why do you
think it was built here?
Back
down in the courtyard, walk through the ruins of a large building
which stood against the east curtain wall. High up on the north east
corner of this building, you should be able to spot two long, diagonal
patches of mortar roof flashing. What do these suggest about this part
of the castle?
Now
look at the tall chapel block. The large windows date from a later
period than the original building. Can you see the evidence of the
height of the original building? Why do you think it was made higher?
Now move inside the building. How many floors can you see? Which floor
held the chapel? Does this help you to answer the earlier question?
Leave
the chapel block and turn right across the courtyard. The way into the
central block - the oldest part of the castle - is through an arched
doorway. The wall to the right of this doorway shows evidence of
another doorway which has been blocked and converted into an arrow
slit. Why do you think this was done? What does it tell you about the
early history of the castle?
Walk
through the doorway into the oldest building in the castle, the keep.
It has been altered a great deal. Look at the stonework of this
original building, especially around the doors in the far left corner
- how is it different from the later stonework (eg. the chapel block
wall and windows)? How do we know that the keep had several floors? We
are told in the guide book that "The Great Hall of the castle
once occupied the whole floor above". Can you find evidence to
support this view?
Now
go through the arched doorway into the northern half of the central
block. Notice the fine fireplaces. Who might have lived in this part
of the castle? Now look at the straight joint forming the corner of
the room beyond the fireplace. If this east wall had been part of the
original keep, you would expect all of the corner stones to be
'bonded' together. What does this tell you about the alterations to
the castle? Clue: the 'later' design of the chapel block. A short
passage in the north west corner of the room leads to the north west
block.
The
passage takes you on to the highest of the three surviving floor
levels in the north west block. A small ledge runs around the walls a
few feet above the present floor - this once supported timber floor
beams - which shows that the floor level has been altered. A small
door in the south east corner takes you into a passage in the
thickness of the wall leading back to the keep. Why would this passage
have been necessary?
Leaving
the central block you will find yourself back in the main courtyard.
Turn right and you will see a small guardroom built up against the
keep wall. Walk northward along the narrow open-air passage, noticing
the arrow slits along the wall on your right. What do these suggest
about the building on the left side of the passage?
The
corridor leads straight to a room with a barrel-vaulted roof. In the
centre is a large masonry pillar supporting the floor above. This is
the middle floor level of the north west block. The pillar is a bit of
a mystery - what do you think the pillar was used for? Clue: it may
have something to do with alterations to the room above - see 9.
Now
walk a little way back along the open corridor and go into the
building on the right, down a flight of steps. Look at the fireplaces
and privies on each floor. What do these tell you about the use of the
building? Who do you think lived there? Clue: how do the fireplaces
compare with those in the keep?
Continue
back along the open corridor and turn right up a flight of steps to
the upper floor of a building. There is a large window at either end.
Left of the entrance, a large blocked opening - possibly another
window - can be traced in the stonework of the east wall.
Underneath
are two barrel-vaulted store rooms, whose windows have been blocked.
Now
walk back towards the gatehouse, and finish by looking at the long
narrow building which stood against the south west curtain wall. Look
at the three large fireplaces. What do these suggest about what the
building was used for?
Outside
the entrance, notice the curved section of the wall on either side,
showing the gateway was designed to be flanked by two round towers.
Look carefully at the curved walls. Do you think that the towers were
ever built? If so, what do you think might have happened to them?
Going
into the castle, look at the big vertical groove in either wall of the
gate passage and the two holes above. What do you think these were
used for?
Looking
back to the gatehouse from inside the courtyard, you can reach the
rooms above the gateway by a set of steps to the right or a spiral
stairway on the left. Thinking back to the last question, what do you
think the room above the gateway would have been used for? Take a
short walk along the walls on either side of the gatehouse. The
windows and battlements give excellent views of Swansea Bay and
Mumbles. Why would this be necessary? Could equally good views have
been obtained by building the castle somewhere else? If so, why do you
think it was built here?
Back
down in the courtyard, walk through the ruins of a large building
which stood against the east curtain wall. High up on the north east
corner of this building, you should be able to spot two long, diagonal
patches of mortar roof flashing. What do these suggest about this part
of the castle?
Now
look at the tall chapel block. The large windows date from a later
period than the original building. Can you see the evidence of the
height of the original building? Why do you think it was made higher?
Now move inside the building. How many floors can you see? Which floor
held the chapel? Does this help you to answer the earlier question?
Leave
the chapel block and turn right across the courtyard. The way into the
central block - the oldest part of the castle - is through an arched
doorway. The wall to the right of this doorway shows evidence of
another doorway which has been blocked and converted into an arrow
slit. Why do you think this was done? What does it tell you about the
early history of the castle?
Walk
through the doorway into the oldest building in the castle, the keep.
It has been altered a great deal. Look at the stonework of this
original building, especially around the doors in the far left corner
- how is it different from the later stonework (eg. the chapel block
wall and windows)? How do we know that the keep had several floors? We
are told in the guide book that "The Great Hall of the castle
once occupied the whole floor above". Can you find evidence to
support this view?
Now
go through the arched doorway into the northern half of the central
block. Notice the fine fireplaces. Who might have lived in this part
of the castle? Now look at the straight joint forming the corner of
the room beyond the fireplace. If this east wall had been part of the
original keep, you would expect all of the corner stones to be
'bonded' together. What does this tell you about the alterations to
the castle? Clue: the 'later' design of the chapel block. A short
passage in the north west corner of the room leads to the north west
block.
The
passage takes you on to the highest of the three surviving floor
levels in the north west block. A small ledge runs around the walls a
few feet above the present floor - this once supported timber floor
beams - which shows that the floor level has been altered. A small
door in the south east corner takes you into a passage in the
thickness of the wall leading back to the keep. Why would this passage
have been necessary?
Leaving
the central block you will find yourself back in the main courtyard.
Turn right and you will see a small guardroom built up against the
keep wall. Walk northward along the narrow open-air passage, noticing
the arrow slits along the wall on your right. What do these suggest
about the building on the left side of the passage?
The
corridor leads straight to a room with a barrel-vaulted roof. In the
centre is a large masonry pillar supporting the floor above. This is
the middle floor level of the north west block. The pillar is a bit of
a mystery - what do you think the pillar was used for? Clue: it may
have something to do with alterations to the room above - see 9.
Now
walk a little way back along the open corridor and go into the
building on the right, down a flight of steps. Look at the fireplaces
and privies on each floor. What do these tell you about the use of the
building? Who do you think lived there? Clue: how do the fireplaces
compare with those in the keep?
Continue
back along the open corridor and turn right up a flight of steps to
the upper floor of a building. There is a large window at either end.
Left of the entrance, a large blocked opening - possibly another
window - can be traced in the stonework of the east wall.
Underneath
are two barrel-vaulted store rooms, whose windows have been blocked.
Now
walk back towards the gatehouse, and finish by looking at the long
narrow building which stood against the south west curtain wall. Look
at the three large fireplaces. What do these suggest about what the
building was used for?