144 PEVERELS CASTLE IN THE PEAK. 



from the hall to the belfry tower opening on the rampart 

 walk around the roof. The walls which surrounded the roof 

 were unusually lofty, battlemented and pierced at certain points 

 by openings which served as look-out stations or places for the 

 burning of beacon fires. The window-like aperture in the south- 

 west wall above the roof may have been such a watching-place, 

 as, unlike the windows below, the floor of this aperture is flat. 

 It is' about 6 ft. 5 in. in depth and 4 ft. i in. in breadth. 

 The narrow loophole at the outer end of the aperture has been 

 crossed horizontally by two iron bars, which would afford 

 protection to the watchman from falling out. This recess 

 Mr. King, on what authority I am ignorant, asserts to have 

 been " the idol cell or little idolatrous chapel in Pagan times, 

 as at Connisburgh." This seems improbable. The " recess " 

 at Connisburgh referred to by Mr. King is an oratory of 

 considerable size, with a vaulted roof, and designed for 

 Christian worship. Besides, accepting, as we must do, 

 Mr. Addy's theory, it is impossible that a shrine or chapel 

 could exist in such a situation. 



The line of the roof is well marked by a remarkable 

 weathering course, which is composed of large stones standing 

 out eight inches from the fiat of the wall, and about four inches 

 thick. There is "a smaller corbel table above the corbels 

 which support the roof, which apparently supported the platform 

 on which the guard would walk from the staircase to the look- 

 out station, which I have previously described. A gutter, 

 which seems to be original work, leads from the corbels which 

 support the roof through the outer wall to discharge rain-water. 



The basement is on the exterior ground level, and does not 

 seem to have been excavated to form a level floor. There is 

 a curious stonework drop in the floor of the basement, as if 

 the south wall of the keep had been built upon an older wall 

 foundation, probably part of the original keep built by Peverel. 

 The height of this room was twelve feet from the highest part 

 of the ground, and seventeen feet from the lowest. It was 

 approached from the hall by the well staircase, which was closed 



