The Donjon

The Donjon

Castle donjon at Warkworth Castle. Constructed in the early 15th century as a comprehensive remodelling of an earlier 13th-century keep, with partial restoration undertaken between 1853 and 1858 by Anthony Salvin for Algernon, 4th Duke of Northumberland. Built of squared stone in a square plan with a projecting bay at the centre of each face; all angles are canted. The structure rises 3 storeys, with a watch tower near the centre ascending a further 3 floors. A central lantern or light well serves a dual purpose, carrying drainage from the roofs.

The building is characterised by a massive splayed plinth and a string course at the level of the 2nd floor. Access to the raised doorway on the west side of the projecting south bay is gained by a 20th-century wooden stair, leading to studded double doors set within a hollow-chamfered 4-centred arch beneath a taller matching arch. Posterns are located on the east side of the south bay and near the north end of the west wall. The lower floors are mostly lit by square-headed loops, whilst the 1st floor features some windows of 2 trefoil-headed lights beneath pointed arches. The 2nd floor windows are predominantly of 2 transomed trefoil-headed lights with blind panel tracery under square heads. The wall facing and dressings of the south-west portion and south bay were renewed in the 19th century.

Taller transomed windows light the Hall at the east end of the south wall and the Chapel in the east bay. At 2nd-floor level, the north end of the north bay displays a panel bearing the Percy lion rampant and canted angles with worn shields. A top string course sits below a fragmentary parapet. The watch tower features a semi-octagonal stair projection on its north side and chamfered loop windows.

Interior arrangement reflects sophisticated military and domestic planning. The ground floor contains a lobby in the south wing with a pitfall beneath the floor, a postern on the east side and a porter's room to the south-east, opening onto an Entrance Hall flanked by a Guard Room (containing a pit dungeon) and a Pages' Room. Additional ground-floor apartments include Beer and Wine cellars, a Larder and Goods Hall. All ground-floor rooms feature 2-centred doorways and pointed or segmental barrel vaults.

A broad principal stair in the south bay ascends to an Ante-Room and Hall, which has 3 moulded doors at its west end leading to the Buttery, Pantry and Kitchen. The south wall contains a 16th-century fireplace, whilst an upper mural gallery at the east end opens onto the light well. A north door from the Hall leads into the Chapel, which has a canted apse, cusped sedile, an ogee-arched piscina and angel corbels flanking the east window. A sacristy is located to the south, and a former family gallery, positioned over the west part of the chapel, contains a 3-light window opening to the light well. The Solar, situated to the north of the light well, is fitted with a moulded square-headed fireplace. A lofty kitchen to the north-west contains a pair of massive fireplaces.

Small mural stairs link the Hall to the Wine Cellar, the Kitchen to the Goods Hall and the Buttery to the Beer Cellar. The 2nd floor has been largely removed except in the south-west part and south bay, where 19th-century restorations preserve floors, some fireplaces and panelled ceilings. The watch tower retains its original newel stair.

Mural chambers with garderobes, small fireplaces, wall lockers, sinks and drains are distributed throughout the building.

Without detailed examination, the extent of surviving 13th-century fabric remains uncertain. The layout of the ground-floor chambers is probably original, although the walls were refaced externally and some of the vaults rebuilt in the 15th century. A similar cruciform plan exists at the keep of Trim in Ireland, dating to around 1200. The 15th-century remodelling of the upper floors represents a notable achievement in military-cum-domestic planning.