Ruins Of Barbicans And Dam At Leeds Castle

BROOMFIELD Ruins of Barbicans TQ 85 SW and Dam at Leeds 2/1 Castle GV I

Partly in Leeds civil parish. Triple barbican. Ruins of 2 of the island barbicans with incorporated mill survive, with dam to south-east. Probably early-to-mid C13. Mill repaired 1298-9. Stone. Irregular height. Outer barbican: rectangular, aligned north-south, with curved south-west corner, and incorporating ruins of former mill within north-west corner. Connected to dam by stone wall with small arch. Causeway to north. Pointed arched stone bridge with parapet, formerly a drawbridge, linking to inner barbican. Inner barbican: roughly rectangular, parallel to east of outer barbican, with deep room, possibly a guard room, immediately to south of bridge. Linked to larger island of castle to east by stone bridge, formerly a drawbridge, and to broad causeways to south-east and south-west. South end of west wall turns south-west to form one wall of south-west causeway or dam. Various window openings and loop lights. North gateway to outer barbican with depressed-pointed arch and portcullis groove. Inner barbican has similar gateway to bridge between barbicans, and one jamb of gateway to former south-west bridge and causeway. See also Leeds Castle [Item 2/2].

Listing NGR: TQ8184352984