134 



^ebevcl's (lEastlc in tije ^eaft. 



By Henry Kirke, M.A., B.C.L. 



jEVERELS CASTLE IN THE PEAK, which gave 

 its name to Sir Walter Scott's well-known novel, has 

 been often visited by archaeologists and travellers, 

 and the results of their observations have been 

 published at various times. The travellers and authors of 

 popular histories content themselves with somewhat vague 

 generalities and mythical legends ; the archaeologists plunge 

 into minute description, and sometimes advance theories which 

 are rarely warranted by the facts before them. It is startUng 

 to see how these learned men differ in their description of what 

 they saw, measured, and dehneated. 



In this short paper I propose to attempt a comparison of 

 their different statements when describing the old Castle, 

 pointing out in what respect they disagree, and making a few 

 suggestions towards reconciling their discrepancies, or giving 

 a new interpretation to their discoveries. 



Detailed descriptions of the Peak Castle by competent 

 persons are not numerous. As far as I have been able to 

 ascertain they are as follows : — 



I. In the ArcJiceologia for 1782 there is published a full 

 description of the Castle, written by Mr. Edward King, illustrated 

 by plans. 



