Tue CASTLE OF DuMFRIES. 51 
The report proves that the Castle stood on the side of the river 
five and a half miles within the mouth of the Nith, and the town was 
and a half miles within the month of the Nith, and the town was 
six miles within the mouth of the Nith, that is to say, half a mile 
further up the river than the castle. Castledykes similarly stands 
on the side of the river, and is just half a mile, as measured on the 
Ordnance Map, below the site of the South Port of the town at 
the corner of St. Michael’s Cemetery ; and so its claim to repre- 
sent the ancient castle of Dumfries is fully confirmed. 
The report shows also that another castle situated within the 
town, which has generally been mistaken for the Castle of Dum- 
fries, was a house of the Maxwells. The house occupied the site 
covered by the present Greyfriars’ Church at the head of High 
Street. Its history will be noticed later. 
Finally intrinsic evidence presents Castledykes as a natural 
strength adapted to the purpose of a fortress; and well preserved 
vestiges of ancient fortifications are yet exhibited within the 
grounds. 
CASTLEDYKES. 
As it stands to-day Castledykes, or The Castledykes, as it is 
written in Dr Burnside’s MS. History of Dumfries, notwithstand- 
ing many changes consequent on the building of a small mansion 
and adapting the grounds for ornamental and garden purposes, 
retains something of the character of the ancient Norman Castle 
of mote and bailey type. The mote, an elevated oblong mound, 
lies on the east part of the ground furthest from the river, and the 
bailey or lower court extends westwards to the Kingholm Road, 
and doubtless it covered what is now the roadway, terminating 
at the river with a high and precipitous rock-faced bank. 
The extent of artificial formation cannot now be determined, 
but at least the vestiges of the great ditch, or dyke, which sur- 
rounded the mote, and from which the name of the place is 
derived, constitute a typical specimen of ancient fortification. 
The ditch remains open at the south end of the mote, and along 
one-half the east side, up to the present entrance gate. North- 
wards the east ditch and the north ditch are marked by a large 
built and covered drain, sufficiently wide and high to allow a man 
to walk through it, upright. The ditch can thus be followed on 
three sides of the mote, partly open and partly closed. On the 
fourth side, except the north corner, no trace remains. 
