Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/274

 212 PEVERELL S CASTLE IN THE PEAK. and Pech. The notices of these two castles continually ran together, having belonged originally to the same great pro- prietor, but how widely different is their present condition, this being a mere roofless, ruined building, the other, one of Derbyshire's most imposing and princely of residences, the abode of lettered elegance and taste. In the 21st Henry II. a chamber was constructed in the Peak castle at the expense of £4. 18s., and in the 23rd year (1177) an additional outlay incurred of £49. upon the same building. Other entries of works occur during the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th, 13th, and 17th of John ", but not proportionate in expense to those previously enumerated, a fact to be borne in mind when we now proceed to examine the architectural character of the building itself. The summit of the eminence already described, is enclosed in the shape of an irregular square by walls on every side, having a quadrangular keep (A) at the south-west angle. The wall running from this point downward to B, where there is an arch four feet wide, and of later character than the keep, appears to be of various dates. Its construction is in some places so rude that it may be assigned to any period, even to the time of Gernebern and Hundinc. There are rows of herring-bone work close to the south-west angle, in themselves no criterion of remote age, but when mixed up with much rude masonry, they may not improbably belong to the earliest period of the castle. It is however necessary to remark that the stones forming the walling being of the irregular forms dug on the spot, and not any ashlars used, there is a natural unevenness in the face, which, being covered also with grey lichens, tends to impart a more ancient look to this portion of the works than is perceptible elsewhere ; so that it may possibly be anterior to the Conqueror's sur- vey. Proceeding along the western side, there is the appear- ance of a sally-port at (C,) which must have communicated with the ground below by means of a ladder. The chief en- " The Great Roll of the Pipe under 5 John . . .' £1. 15s. 6d. these respective years, sets forth the ex- 6 John. Works on the liouse of the Peak pense as follows : and the Stew . . 17s. 10 Ric. I. Works at Pech 102s. 7 John . . . £24:. 5s. 7 d. 1 John . . . 61s. 11 John . . . 103s. 2 John, . . loos. 13 John . . . £4:3. 5s. 4:d. ^John . . . £12. 9a-. Id. 17 John . . . 50*.