ustained sieges for the
king or parliament and were finally dilapidated.

Besides the regularly fortified castles, there were many mansion-houses
of inferior importance, which, though not capable of resisting a regular
siege, were strengthened against a tumultuous or hasty invasion. These
houses generally formed a square of building enclosing a court and
surrounded by a moat. A drawbridge formed the only access, which was
protected by an embattled gatehouse. One side of the square was
principally occupied by a great hall; and the offices and lodgings were
distributed on the other sides. Oxburgh-hall in Norfolk and Layer Marney
in Essex are fine examples of these houses. They were frequently of
timber, as Moreton-hall in Cheshire, Speke-hall near Liverpool. Leland
describes Morley-house near Manchester as 'builded,--saving the
foundation of stone squared that riseth within a great mote a 6 foot
above the water,--all of timber, after the common sort of building of
the gentlemen for most of Lancashire.' Sometimes a strong tower was
added at one corner as a citadel, which might be maintained when the
rest of the house was destroyed. This is the case with the curious house
of Stoke Say in Shropshire, where the situation near the Welsh border
might render such an additional security desirable.

Thus the forms of ancient fortification were continued awhile rather
from habit or ostentation than from any more important motives; but in
the new buildings erected during the reign of Elizabeth and her
successor they were finally laid aside. In some stately houses, though
the show of strength was discontinued, the general form remained however
the same. The circuit of building was entire, and enclosed one or more
courts; a gateway formed the entrance, and the great hall was placed at
the opposite side of the first court. Such was Audley End, in its
original state one of the largest and most sumptuous houses in the
kingdom. In other instances the house assumes the half H shape, with the
offices placed in the wings; and the circuit is only completed by
terraces and low walls; the gatehouse remains as a detached lodge, or is
entirely omitted: examples of this form are numerous; as Holland-house
at Kensington, Oxnead and Blickling halls in Norfolk, Beaudesert and
Wimbledon-house, built by sir Thomas Cecil in 1588, remarkable for a
great ascent of steps and terraces disposed in a manner resembling some
Italian villas. In others the offic