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Welcome to the "Champs de Auvergne"
In the south of France, upon a hill surrounded by a wide moat, sits the majestic, high walled "Sang de Griphon".
Upon arriving through the arch of the castle wall,you approach the outer gate-house.
From there you would notice the beauty of the grounds beyond the gate,
The pristine gardens, the stables, the inner court and yards and the inner gate-house.
Once across the inner court and through the inner gate-house, you enter the great hall.
Just south of the castle proper is the village. Many proud and essential people live
and work in the village and it offers a variety of inns, shops, and cafes.
The village also contains all the staples of medieval life, a blacksmith, a bakery, a tailor and other shops of interest.
Beyond the village to the south lay the farms and and agricultural areas.
Just west of the village sits the docks and harbor, small but easily accessable.
To the east, just at vision turns to a haze, one can make out the outline of mountains.
The Outer Gate-house
The outer curtain wall can be seen stretching away to right
and left on either side of the heavily fortified outer gate-house straight ahead.
Arrow slits can be seen in this on both sides and on the left there is a crenellated parapet,
with a walk behind it on which defenders of the castle would stand to shoot.
There is also a walk like this, called an alure, behind the parapet at the top
of the gate-house and behind most of the parapets in all places on the castle.
It was not always easy to gain entrance to the castle as the way across the moat, is by a drawbridge. This has chains or ropes attached to its outer end and can be pulled up when necessary.
The next hazard to overcome is missiles, traditionally of boiling oil or molten lead,
which can be thrown down the wide shoot below the outer parapet of the gate-house.
Below this shoot is the plumed helmet of a knight and possibly the Stradling arms and crest .
The whole castle is built of locally quarried liassic limestone and one can see stalactites below the projecting supports of the parapet.
The style of the two lancet windows on the outer side of the gatehouse and the Early English hooded
fireplace of Sutton stone in the guard room, to which they give light, These two windows are set far apart so that the next defensive structure, the portcullis, can be pulled up between them.
This is a massive wooden grille with sharp points at the lower edge which is suspended by chains from the guard room above.
It can be lowered to make the entrance impassable. Behind it again are very heavy wooden doors.
Outer Court and Inner Gate-house
One emerges from the gate-house into the outer court of the castle which lies between the inner and outer curtain walls.
This has had various domestic buildings built in it at varying times, as on the right of the entrance, but it stretches away unimpeded to the left.
Up above the inner arch of the outer gate-house is an iron plaque. The name of King Edward III can just be distinguished, but his clothes, which are not of his period, indicate that it was put up after his time.
Ahead, and to the left is the inner gate-house leading through the inner curtain to the courtyard.
It is defended on its left, or south side, by the Mansell tower. Between the corbels, i.e. external supports,
of the room above the arch of the gate-house are more shoots for missiles
and there are also large holes for this purpose in the floor itself which you can see as you pass underneath.
Inner Courtyard and Surrounding Buildings
Once inside the courtyard everything has a more peaceful air. However,
if one stands just inside the gateway one can see two more towers. In the far right hand,
i.e. north-west, corner stands the tall Gibbet Tower of the inner ring.
Away in the south-west corner of the outer curtain is the Queens Tower.
This tower, which has been rebuilt several times, is now much higher than it was originally.
The Great Hall
Passing under the porch with the Oriel window and turning right one enters the Great Hall.
Architecturally this is typical of a great hall of the second half of the fifteenth-century.
There is a gallery on one side and on the other a raised dais for the high table.
Windows Across the upper gallery Light the Dais by Day.
A fashion for lighting the high table by such a windowed recess came in at about this time.
There is a large Stone Fireplace along both sides of the Great Hall, both for warmth and lighting. Above the fireplace is the maginficent Crest of the Auvergne Family, Along with typical tapistries of the period, depicting the colorful battles and history of the region.
The hall is built against part of the thick inner ring wall on the Main fireplace side.
The parapet here has been replaced by a thin upper wall containing the clerestory windows.
A small window opposite the gallery gives a view from the long gallery which runs from here
southwards to a window in the outer curtain wall.
The Ladies of the court probably withdrew there but remained able to keep an eye on their menfolk below!
There is a Story, That one of the Queens from long ago, waits there for her Husband to return from Pilgramage, but he never does.
Some say that the sound of the tapping of her heels and the rustling of silk imply another impending disaster.
Library
Passing out of the Great Hall by the door in the corner of the windowed recess and continuing forward one comes to the stairs leading up to the library.
This is a very large room with a suite of rooms above it and the dining hall below it.
The Queens Drawing Room, is just to the side of the suites.
The rest of this very large room is used as a ballroom.
Across the other side of the valley one can see, except in full summer when the trees obscure it, One can view the
watchtower, one of many along the peremeter of the Kingdom, each with a signal fire, and Runners to inform the Castle of possible attack.. or in some cases..Visitors.
Breakfast Room and Dining Hall
Down the main stairs and to the left is an ante-room to the dining hall known as the Breakfast Room.
The roof is similar to that in the dining hall,
which one reaches by proceeding straight ahead. The ceiling of this is a very fine wooden one, carved,
gilded and coloured with glit and vivid paint.
The workmanship is French, or certainly much influenced by craftsmen of Paris and possibly Vienna.
The Gardens
Below this garden and to the left is the Rose Garden where there were also beautiful roses when the gardens were first laid out.
Looking down on the Rose Garden is a little Italian-style summer house where one might see the Queen or some of her Courtiers having lunch.br>
If one comes out of the Rose Garden the same way as one entered and turns down to the left,
one sees the Blue Garden with a long summer house covered with wisteria.
Below this garden the path turns down a slope to the right overlooking a lawn edged in the shape of a harp with a sun-dial in the centre.
It is possible to walk along paths on top of the cliffs in both directions or along the shore,
if the tide is out, but care should be taken in both cases as parts of the cliffs are liable to fall. However,
if it is desired to return to the main gate without retracing one's steps there are two main possibilities.
In both cases go back through the Cavalry Barracks. One can then take the road up to the right which
leads to the junction of the drives just outside the castle. Alternatively one can turn left, and then right,
and walk along the valley on the west side of the castle.
It is said that the sea came into this valley in the past and reached nearly to the churchyard. The church is of considerable interest, both in itself and because of its connections with the castle throughout the ages.
A road leads up from it on the north side of the castle to the same point where the drives meet.
Room Controller:Solaris
Room Council-DM-ST: Seer of Numberless Dreams
Room Council-DM-ST: Raziel
Front Door Graphics and Layout by Cass
©Champs de Auvergne
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