Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/196

 SECOND PERIOD 176 TORTHORWALD CASTLE entrance to the lower vault was apparently through the centre of the north wall. How the upper floors were reached cannot exactly be deter- mined, but on the outside of the east wall, at the level of the upper floor of the lower division, where marked on plan, there is a round arched doorway, which has been long ago built up and a small window inserted in it. This has probably been the main entrance originally, although it cannot be traced on the wall inside. From the upper floor of the lower vault a straight flight of steps in the south gable leads up to the hall floor, and to a spiral stair w r hich runs to the top. Another spiral stair in the north-east corner leads to the hall only. The two floors in the lower vault were each divided into two apartments. Where the division wall abuts against the east wall there is a wide and straight joint in the masonry inside, continued up through the hall and the vaulting so far as it exists, which is shown on the sketch (Fig. 142). From this it would almost seem as if about 10 feet had been added to the length of the castle. If so, this must have been done at an early date, and probably before the building was finished. As favouring this view it may be pointed out that the exterior masonry of the portion first built is of rubble-work, while that of the supposed addition is in regular courses throughout its whole height, and similar ashlar-work is continued along the upper part of the older portion, all along the east and south walls, although not everywhere at a uniform level. From this we infer that when the addition was made the castle was in progress, and the change of masonry from rubble to ashlar was begun just at whatever level the walls chanced to be at. The upper vault had evidently been begun (it is of ashlar throughout), but the end gable was not built in nor the haunches of the vault quite finished when the enlargement and change was made. The castle has evidently been further heightened at a later time. A small portion of the masonry of this heightened wall still stands at the south- east corner, showing rubble-work on the outside above the ashlar-work iust referred to. The earthworks round the castle (Fig. 143) are extensive, especially to the north and east, and partly to the south, while on the west they have probably been obliterated by the plough. As in other cases, to which we shall afterwards have occasion to refer, these earthworks have FIG. 141. Torthorwald Castle. Plans.