Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/179

 TH REAVE CASTLE 159 SECOND PERIOD Fio. 126. Threave Castle. Plan of Site. paces from the building. Above this ford either branch of the river can only be crossed by a boat. Proceeding from the southern extremity about 80 yards, a wide ditch or marsh, supplied from the Dee, contracts the approach to the castle to about 12 yards in width next the western stream. The island, which is quite flat, extends about 500 paces northwards from the castle, and is about half this distance in width, forming a fine pasture meadow of nearly 20 acres in extent. The river protects the castle on the west at from 15 to 20 yards distance. On the other sides a strong wall with a sloping face and round towers still surrounds it, form- ing a courtyard about 15 feet wide on the south and east sides. The wall was most likely continued round the west and north sides, as shown by dotted lines, where the courtyard would be about 30 feet wide. The round tower at the south-east angle is entire, and is 9 feet 2 inches in internal diameter, and three stories high, with three loopholes in each story. The upper story was reached from the walls. The south-west tower (Fig. 127), about 9 feet from the river, has fallen, the greater part lying like a cylinder on its side, nearly entire. The north-east tower is almost a total ruin ; enough, however, remains to show that it and the one overthrown were the same size as the existing tower. The wall on the north side is gone, except a part of the foundation, shown by dotted lines. From the style of masonry of this wall, as well as from the form of the loopholes, it has possibly been rebuilt at a later date than the castle, but probably on the old foundations. Outside the wall there is a ditch, with a mound. (See plan of Island.) This mound encloses an outer court towards the east and south, of about 35 yards wide. There are scraps of masonry on this mound, so that it may have been a walled enclosure with the base of the wall raised some 4 or 5 feet above the general level of the island. A noble entrance gateway (Fig. 128) (in a most deplorable state of dilapidation) leads through the east wall into the inner court, opposite which is the entrance to the keep. This gateway has been defended with a drawbridge, but there was no portcullis. The castle (Fig. 126) is oblong on plan, measuring 6l feet from north to south, by 39 feet 4 inches from east to west, and is 63 feet from the parapet walk to the ground at the doorway, and 8 feet more to the highest part of the ruined parapets. There is a central vault, 25 feet high, forming the floor of the hall, and