The Stones of Pontefract

I SIT BENEATH SYCAMORES, drawing the Motte at the opposite end of the Inner Bailey, sitting on a bench, on a landscaped mound which contains the un-excavated remains of the Great Hall of Pontefract Castle. As I draw greenfly are continually dropping on me. It is that time of year again.

On my last visit archaeologist Pam Judkins pointed out three distinct types of stonework;

• Ashlar is the term for stones cut to size with such precision that no mortar shows in the joints. At Pontefract this is an indication of original medieval work.
  
  
• Irregular work, using fragments and pebbles is medieval infill, originally hidden by masonry.
  
  
• Victorian restoration typically includes a variety of blocks, mostly worn or broken, which have been re-built in fairly regular layers.
  

Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail; 'richard@daelnet.co.uk'