We commence the ascent of the keep, which is the only part shown to the
public (usually on Mondays only) by way of the clock tower which once
formed the entrance to the inner courts. We can now see the remnants of
Richard Fitz-Alan's buildings (1290). A flight of steps leads to the
Keep, the older portion of which was built by the same Earl; the walls
are in places ten feet thick. In the centre a well descends to the
storeroom of the garrison, which is cut out of the solid chalk. Over
the entrance note the remains of St. Martin's chapel; from the window
is a magnificent view towards Littlehampton. The openings in the floor
suggest the use of boiling liquid for the heads of besiegers.
The Keep was once famous for its owls, the older members of the colony
being known by appropriate names, such as that recorded in the story of
the Ducal butler who convulsed the guests one evening by announcing,
"Please, your Grace, Lord Thurlow has laid an egg."
[Illustration: ARUNDEL GATEWAY.]
The views in every direction are very fine and the nearer prospect
proves to the observer the unrivalled position which the fortress held
as guardian of one of the most important of the routes between London
and the Continent by way of the Port of Littlehampton.
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