Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/139

 YESTER CASTLE 119 FIRST PERIOD arched bridge across the small burn near this point, showing that the approach to the castle was in this position. This bridge is built with carefully-dressed masom-y in regular courses, and is certainly of old date. The parapet has been renewed in a less careful manner in 1717, a stone inserted in it bearing that date, with the letters. -, (probably for the o 1 Marquess of Tweeddale). A wall seems to have run from the south-east corner tower of the enceinte down to the Hopes Burn as an additional protection. The part of the wall of enceinte which remains on the east side is about 50 feet long and at least 30 feet high. The ground-floor at this point contained a semicircular vaulted chamber, above which has apparently been the hall. But this part of the building is of later date, probably fifteenth century, to judge from the mouldings of a window on the upper floor. A peculiar feature in this hall is a large window in the back of the huge vent of the fireplace, the sill being about 6 feet above the floor. But the most remarkable building connected with the castle is a sub- terranean chamber, having underground passages cut in the rock, leading from it, popularly known as "The Goblin Hall," and so named on the plan and sections (Fig. 93). This underground chamber is the hall referred to by Sir Walter Scott in the " Host's Tale " in Marmion. It is entered from the castle by a long straight flight of steps, with doorways in the centre as well as the top and bottom, which have been defended with strong bars against entrance from the exterior. The chamber is situated immediately outside the north wall of the castle, below the open ground above referred to. Its position is shown by dotted lines on the plan and by the sections (Fig. 93). It is 37 feet long by 13 feet wide, and is vaulted with a pointed tunnel vault (Fig. 95) 19 feet high to apex, strengthened with numerous broad splayed ribs. This chamber was divided into two stories in the height, with a wooden floor at the level of the springing of the vault. The apertures for the joists, and portions of the joists themselves, are still apparent. There is a door to the upper floor (see sketch, Fig. 94) under the castle wall, nearly above that to the lower floor, and there must have been a passage to this door from the central landing of the stair. At the north end of the chamber (see enlarged plan and section A B, Fig. 93) there is a passage with a pointed vault cut through the rock, which leads westwards to the outside about half-way down the slope of the precipitous bank of the stream. This passage is 33 feet 6 inches long. It has a considerable slope downwards towards the outside, and is defended by three doors, with strong sliding bars, the iron door at the outside being 4 feet 4 inches high, and 2 feet 6 inches wide. The inner door seems to have been provided with a portcullis. A similar passage was begun to be formed on the opposite side of the chamber, and a doorway (see plan and section, Fig. 93) with slots for slid- ing bars is there built, but it leads only to a face of solid rock. The constructors seem to have changed their mind, and, stopping operations in this direction, proceeded to cut a descending staircase through the