Broad Arrow Tower

[The Broad Arrow Tower.] The Beauchamp Tower was added, and the whole of the inner W. curtain was re-built c. 1300, and it is possible that the other intermediate towers—the Flint, Brick, Constable's and Broad Arrow—were added at the same time, though some of them may be of earlier date. …

The Broad Arrow Tower (Plate 147) is of three stages with a fourth storey in the S. turret. The walls are of rag-stone rubble with a high plinth and square turrets on the N. and S. It was built either by Henry III or Edward I and has been restored on the inner or western face and at the top. The ground-storey contains a rectangular room with rounded eastern angles and three embrasures with pointed heads; the E. embrasure has a modern two-light window, but the other two have cruciform arrow-loops. The room is entered by a doorway in the W. wall with chamfered jambs and two-centred head; the doorway to the staircase in the N. turret has a shouldered head and the short connecting corridor has a pointed barrel-vault. The room in the second storey has a triangular end towards the E.; it has three embrasures with two-centred heads and cruciform arrow-loops; on the S. side is a completely restored stone fireplace with a flat lintel on shaped corbels and a pyramidal stone hood. The S. turret, at this level, contains two narrow chambers each with a pointed barrel-vault; the western forms a corridor leading to the parapet-walk of the curtain. The third storey has no ancient features. The Broad Arrow Tower contains the following incised inscriptions, etc. In the ground-storey—(1) device with the name N. H. Blond (Plate 34); (2) shield with three cheverons and the initials I.P.; (3) "cudure"; (4) "William"(?) with foliated device (Plate 34); (5) the word Christ and a cross; (6) R. Ithell. On staircase—(7–9) various 'black-letter' scratchings, including the words Blond, "dublanfosr" and a shield with a cheveron. In the second storey—(10) John Daniell, 1556 (executed); (11) partly defaced Latin inscription with the name and date R. Ithe[ll] lapsus, 1587; (12) as (11) with same name and defaced date; (13) J. Hoyden; (14) defaced inscription with the name Darwin; (15) inscription and name Everard Digby (Gunpowder Plot); (16) defaced Latin inscription; (17) long Latin quotations from Ecclesiastes, etc.; (18) "John Homes and William Shorter came to keep Master Barnewell the firste of September 1586 and went from hence the …" (Babington's conspiracy); (19) defaced inscription; (20) NH, IHS, J. Stoughton; (21) IHS, Rodue—d, H—d; (22) Italian inscription with name and date Giovanni Battista Castiglione, 1556 (Italian Master to Queen Elizabeth); (23) Latin fragment; (24) Italian inscription; (25) IHS, MA,; (26) IHS, MA, miserere mei, … pro me, R. Ithel[l]; (27) defaced Latin inscription; (28) defaced English and Latin inscription; (29) John Stou[ghton], 1586, and other fragmentary inscriptions and initials.

The Curtain Wall between the Broad Arrow and Constable's Towers is of rag-stone rubble and the S. part is original for about half its length; the N. part has been refaced or re-built.