Salt Tower

The Salt Tower, called also Julius Cæsar's Tower, is of four storeys; the walls are of rag-stone rubble with vertical bands of ashlar and square attached turrets on the N. and W. It was built c. 1230–40, but has been extensively restored externally and the parapets are modern; the external form is round and the tower stood at the junction of four curtain-walls (Plate 147), two on the E. and S. sides of the inner ward, and the other two cross-walls connecting the tower with the curtain of the outer ward on the E. and with the Well Tower on the S. The room in the ground-storey is of irregular pentagonal form, each face having a splayed embrasure with a segmental-pointed head and an arrow-loop; above the W. embrasure is a shaft with a two-centred arch running diagonally up to the parapet-walk of the adjoining curtain-wall. The room is entered by a short passage and a modern doorway in the N.W. angle; adjoining the passage is an original doorway with chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head, opening into the stair-turret. Adjoining the staircase on the N. is a small room in the thickness of the curtain-wall; it has a barrel-vault with chamfered cross-ribs. The room in the second storey is generally similar to that below, but on the S. side is an original stone fireplace (Plate 135) with a joggled lintel carried on shaped corbels and capped by a moulded string-course; above the string rises a pyramidal stone hood. On the W. is a modern two-light window, representing an old feature, and N. of it is a pointed doorway leading to the parapet-walk, but now blocked. The room in the third storey is similar to that in the second, but has three larger loops and no surviving fireplace. In the W. wall of the W. turret is a two-light window, similar to that in the stage below. The room in the top storey has been entirely modernised; it is entered by a doorway in the N. wall with a shouldered head. A small room at the top of the staircase has three loops. The Salt Tower contains the following incised inscriptions. In the second storey—(1) an elaborate horoscope (Plate 36) with the inscription "Hew Draper of Brystow made thys spheer the 30 daye of Maye anno 1561" (astrologer, imprisoned for sorcery and magic); (2) the word or name Wadiall (?); (3) EH, 14 Aug. 1590; (4) R.W.; (5) Francis Berty, 1(6)72; (6) a heart with the letters IHS and MA.; (7) Jhon; (8) Jh … g; (9) E. Pol, 1567; (10) John Monyngson; (11) J. Lyon, 1574; (12) "Dū spero per." (Dum spiro spero); (13) illegible inscription with date 1553; (14) illegible; (15) inscription with name Tho (?) King; (16) Danyel; (17) John Lion (figure of Lion) Julii 2, 1574; (18) Mychael Moody, May 15, 1587 (Plate 37) (conspirator); (19) 1556 Augusti 14, me E., John Baptiste, Cristofer Per . . n, P, Cristofer Nor[to]n (Plate 37) (Ridolfi conspiracy 1570); (20) panel with a sphere and the initial E. (Plate 37); (21) long inscription in various languages, mostly illegible, but with the name William Phaer (?) and date 1576; (22) Ambros; (23) unintelligible, but with small shield-of-arms; (24) IHS. Hen. Walpole (Jesuit priest, 1594); (25) panel with scrolled border and illegible inscription; (26) Henry Walpole, Hieronimus, Ambrosius, A(ugustinus), Gre(gorius); (27) Ricard. Wiam; (28) Harman Barrester, 1572; (29) "IHS, Maria, Ad majorem Dei gloriam Scti …"; (30) Latin inscription, partly illegible; (31) IHS. MA. Hen. Walpol Societatis Je. Presbiter; (32) over last the initials A.W.; (33) a cross; (34) Maria; (35) IHS several times repeated; (36) hand with a wound; (37) Latin and French inscription with shield-of-arms and date 1593; (38) "Vivat et vincat rex Jacobus"; (39) "Feare fortuns flateri, fraile of felicitie, dispayre not in dainger, God is a defender"; (40) Daniell Assai; (41) "Harry Clarke, in ano. 1553, IHS"; (42) "Mense Maii 1552 Humfry Michel"; (43) Cristofer Lew . . tye, . . . Maey 15 . ., Humfrey Holt, IH, 155.; (44) illegible with initials I.W. and RBC; (45) "Hew Draper of Brystow, the 27 day Janry …"; (46) "E. H. Iris …, WM, Edwardus Hyrste, 1587, January 24, R. Custos MM., hoc scripsit"; (47) William Blo . . w; (48–51) devices and illegible inscriptions, one with later initials RC. above; (52) cross on a calvary; (53) wounded hand(?). In third storey—(54) "Blessed ar they that suffer persecution for righteusnes"; (55) nail and heart; (56) heart pierced by arrow; (57) IG., GA.; (58) "Egremond Radclyff 1576, pour parv(eni)r, TH" (rebel); (59) G. Boles; (60) "Emongste the worldly sorowes all, to man more grefe there canot be, then from feliscite to fawle, into this captivitie, WI., F. Digbi, 1553, HD. 1553, West, John …" (Plate 36); (61) fragmentary inscription with date 1551; (62–67) partly illegible inscriptions, including John Colleton Priste (1581–4), Perne, 1567, etc.; (68) R. Buxton, 1555; (69) William Andros; (70) HC (?) TW., RG.; (71) a sphere with a fish, fleur-de-lis, sun in splendour and the initials AP. and NP.; (72) Thomas Wright (Priest, 1577–85); (73) Arthur Pool, Edmund Poole, Arth … (conspirators, 1562–70); (74) design with initials HL and part of date 15 . .; (75) HL and a device. In top storey—(76) shield with a non-heraldic device.

The Curtain Wall between the Salt and the Broad Arrow Towers is of rag-stone rubble; the southern half has a modern added facing, but the northern part is original except at the top. Near the Broad Arrow Tower is a 13th-century doorway at the ground-floor level, opening on to the moat and having jambs and segmental-pointed arch of two chamfered orders. Further S. are three cruciform arrow-loops, one of which is blocked; the others have embrasures with two-centred heads. At the back or inside of the curtain stands the Horse Armoury.