Bailey Walls, South East Range to Hertford Castle (Hertford Castle Demolished)

Bailey Walls, South-East Range to Hertford Castle

This curtain wall forms the south-east side of Hertford Castle's bailey. It dates from the late 12th century, built between 1171 and 1174, with later repairs and alterations carried out at various periods.

The wall is constructed of flint rubble with clunch quoins. Later repairs are evident in Portland stone and red brick laid in English bond. The wall stands 4-5 metres high at its maximum, with a thickness of 1.7-2 metres, and extends north-eastwards along the bailey perimeter.

At the south-west corner stands a ruined polygonal tower known as the postern, built of flint with clunch quoins. This tower was given early 19th-century crenellations with Portland stone caps. To the north of this is the truncated spur of the west wall, which originally connected to the gate house. This section was demolished around 1791 by the Marquess of Downshire. The main run of wall has been extensively repaired with brick and fitted with early 19th-century crenellations.

A postern gate with an unmoulded pointed arch and vault in clunch dates to the 13th century and has been restored. The wall terminates to the north-east in a late 18th-century gateway, erected on the site of the former angle bastion. This gateway features a broad Tudor-headed skew arch with twin leaf gates. The eastern gate is fitted with four long raised panels, nail-studded stiles, and moulded caps.

The castle is believed to have originated as a Saxon fort built by King Alfred against Danish forces, and was rebuilt or reconstructed by William I shortly after 1066 as a motte and bailey. The earthwork mound survives, standing 22 feet high in the north angle of the castle precinct overlooking the river. In 1171-1174, under Henry II, £171 was spent to replace the original wooden palisade with the flint rubble curtain wall that survives today. The castle was enhanced with a double moat system, the outer moat following what is now Castle Street, Parliament Square, and The Wash, with an embankment separating the two moats. The inner moat encircled the curtain wall perimeter. Both moats have long since been infilled, though their traces remain visible in the undulating topography near the south postern and behind properties in Castle Street and Parliament Square. The bailey comprises 2.3 acres, with the entire castle precinct covering 7.75 acres. Hertford Castle Gate House, curtain walls, motte and bailey, and precinct are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.