Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/399

 BALGONIE CASTLE 379 THIRD PERIOD ing it is a small chamber with walls sloping inwards, till they nearly meet at the top, which is entered from the tower by a door 3 feet high, and 3 feet 8 inches above the floor. This singular chamber, which was doubtless the prison, has a slit 4 inches wide opposite the well, which is out- side the walls, and in the first ditch or moat. There is another arched chamber in the thickness of the wall on the south side of the entrance. There were rooms above the entrance, now in a very ruinous condition. These rooms may have been used for the working of a bridge, and were probably reached by some kind of moveable steps. A projecting turret at the south-west corner (Fig. 327), and a few remaining corbels beside it indicate the height of the enclosing walls. At the south-east corner of the courtyard there is another entrance. It has been through a tower projecting to the outside, and shown by dotted lines on the plan. Only two of the sides of this tower remain. The west wall contained a shot-hole, now built up by the fireplace of the more modern kitchen, which has been added. Indications of the other sides of the tower exist. Above this entrance, on the inside, is a row of notched corbels for carrying some kind of platform. How far the east and north curtain walls extended cannot be deter- mined. Possibly they are partly incorporated in the outside walls of the more recent buildings. It will be observed that the north wall and the return of the east wall are of great thickness. The west curtain breaks off abruptly before reaching the steep bank, to the edge of which it no doubt extended. The keep, which is 43 feet 9 inches long by 34 feet 9 inches wide, and 64 feet 7 inches high to the top of the parapets, contains five stories (Fig. 328), the basement and first floor being vaulted. The present scale stair adjoining the keep, and giving access to it, belongs to the more modern buildings. Originally the ground floor was not in communication with those above. The first floor, containing a large hall of finely finished masonry, measures 28 feet 8 inches by 20 feet 6 inches. It was reached by moveable steps, the door being at a height of about 12 feet above the ground on the north side, a most inconvenient place, owing to the slope of the ground, but doubtless so placed for security. There are large seated windows with shutters in this hall, one of the latter being still in position. Some of the windows are pointed and cusped, but there is no fireplace. Above the end windows, and close to the arched roof, there are small openings about 12 inches square, evidently meant for ventilation. From the north-east corner a turnpike SECTION THROUC.H FIG. 328. Balgonie Castle. Section.