| SHERBORNE OLD CASTLE | |
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IN DORSETSHIRE |
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As Chancellor to King Henry I, and the greatest landowner in the area, Roger de Caen (Bishop of Salisbury) had a grand, fortified palace built at Sherborne at the beginning of the 12th century. However, Sherborne Castle was quickly taken into Royal possession and remained so for the next 200 years or more. During this period only repairs, and some alteration to the castle defences, were undertaken, but the structure remained virtually untouched. This substantial site is roughly rectangular, but with angled corners, and is surrounded by a moat and extensive earthwork defences. Much of the original curtain wall survives to a good height. Towers were placed at each corner of the wall, as well as a North Gate and Barbican halfway along the northern edge which provided the castle's main entrance. Only the southwest gatehouse remains sufficiently to see original building details, such as the ashlar facing stone, first floor window and entrance arch, although some 16th century additions also exist. Located within the curtain wall, a series of 12th century buildings forming the inner bailey now exist only at foundation level. Of the four main ranges, the north range has remained the most intact, and contains the chapel on the upper floor. Much of the other ranges have been reduced to just bare traces of their original structure, but a stairway giving access to the Keep can be made out in the west range. Buildings along the south range appear to have been demolished and remodelled during the 16th century, and evidence has recently been uncovered to suggest that a series of 14th century buildings once existed west of the Keep. During the 16th century, the castle was used to accommodate visiting Bishops, and it is reasonable to assume that some of the alterations and enhancements were made to Sherborne Castle for this purpose. Further improvements were undertaken at the end of the century when Sir Walter Raleigh took over the property. However, within a couple of years, he had built a new 'lodge' on the estate and chose to reside there in preference to the Old Castle. At the time of the Civil War, Sherborne Old Castle was owned by Lord Digby - a principal adviser to King Charles -
| PUBLISHED DATE | 1773 LONDON |
| PRINTED FOR | R. GOADBY |
| SOLD BY | J. TOWERS IN FORE STREET NEAR CRIPPLEGATE |
| PAGE SIZE: approx | 8 INCHES x 5 INCHES |
| IMAGE SIZE: approx | 7 1/2 x 4 1/4 INCHES |
| CONDITION | COPPER ENGRAVING , BLANK on the back . As scanned. Suitable ageing. The image is clean, clear and sharp with beautiful depth and detail.This beautiful rare item would look great matted and framed. An art supply store can provide you with a selection of frames for old art treasures. |
| TYPE INFO | A copper engraving is an image taken from an engraved copper plate. A plate of bright, burnished copper that is usually 16 gauge or 18 gauge is used. The copper plate is first coated with a ground, then the image is traced with a sharp point or needle. Once the image is traced, the ground is removed. To ensure accurate engraving, the copper plate oftentimes rests in sand. Using the traced lines, an artist uses a burin to engrave onto the copper plate. Metal shavings are cut away by the burin. These shavings, known as "burr," while removed from the plate must still be detached by a "scraper," a cutting tool. The deeper the burin cuts, the stronger the engraved lines are when printed. Once the plate has been engraved, it is ready to be used for printing by warming it, inking it, and then passing it through a press with the sheet of paper that is to be printed. Copper engraving developed as early as the fourteenth century. Some early examples of copper engraving from Italy and Germany date around 1440. The process used for copper engraving may have come about by armourers using metal engraved patterns to decorate their armor. The first uses of copper engravings were for religious images and playing cards. During the 1600s and 1700s, copperplate engravings were used in a widespread fashion for illustrated works, particularly in France and England. Copper engraving remained the standard up until the 1770s when wood engraving developed. |
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