142 PEVERELS CASTLE IN THE PEAK. 



most likely a drawbridge placed above the crown of the little 

 arch of entrance (a) beneath. Many circumstances lead to 

 this conclusion, for, in the first place, that the arch at (g) was 

 the grand entrance is obvious." There is no " grand " in the 

 matter — it was, in fact, the only entrance to the keep. 

 "Moreover," he continues, "the crown of this arch, as well 

 as the bottom of the portal, is lower than those of the windows. 

 And yet nothing can be more evident than that a flight of steps 

 could hardly, with any degree of possibility, be made to ascend 

 to it between the outward wall of the Castle, and that of the 

 keep itself blocking up the lower arch of entrance at {a), unless, 

 by some means or other, they were so constructed as to be 

 carried over the top of it."' I do not understand this, unless 

 Mr. King imagined that there was another entrance to the 

 keep itself blocking up the lower arch of entrance at (a), unless, 

 " I believe the grand approach to have been as represented, 

 the steps ascending from (x) to (r), where was a considerable 

 platform, after which the passage went directly over the top 

 of a wall at (/') (/) to a drawbridge at (s), and thence by a 

 continuance of platform to the portal (g), in which case the 

 approach to the steps would be well commanded both by the 

 lower loop at (d) and by the great window above at (k), and 

 this will account for the loop at (d) being placed so irregularly 

 near one corner of the room, instead of being placed in the 

 middle as the window above is." 



This conjecture of Mr. King is very ingenious, and worthy 

 of consideration, but I think that the simple mode of access 

 is more likely to be correct when we compare the Peak with 

 other keeps erected about the same time. Speaking of Norman 

 keeps, Mr. Clerk, in his Mcdiccval Military Architecture, says 

 that access to such donjons was by an external staircase of 

 timber which could be drawn up. None of the other authorities 

 whom I have mentioned venture to give an opinion on the 

 subject. 



The arched entrance doorway on the first floor is 4 ft. 9 in. 

 wide, and is surmounted on the outside by a relieving arch or 

 tympanum. It is 8 ft. 6 in. above the present level of the 



