46 Anniversary Address. 



constructions are found in it. The first stage of the tower is 

 built of the local basaltic stone, and is of much older date 

 than the super-structure, which consists of three stages of 

 Edwardian freestone ashlar masonry, of the same character 

 as that at Dunstanburgh castle. Two of these stages are 

 perfect, but the third has, in modern times, been frayed away, 

 course by course, in steps to form lean-to gables, and roofed 

 over with slates. The window openings are small and rect- 

 angular, and there are projecting corbels on the eastern side 

 which originally carried the machicolated defence of the 

 entrance now blocked up. The old pele measures 18 ft. 8 in. 

 by 14 ft. 9 in. externally, and the walls are four feet thick. 

 Against one side of it, and extending beyond it to a length of 

 36 feet, wing fashion, is a low two-storied Jacobean building 

 having a third story in the red-tiled roof, very pleasing look- 

 ing in contrast to the stern old tower. Looking on to the 

 north front it will be seen that several courses of good 

 Edwardian masonry have been used up in it, which were 

 doubtless taken at the time from the ruins of the castle. 

 Thus we may read that in the days of Duns Scotus there 

 stood an ancient pele tower ; upon the lower story of which 

 were added, in a style of architecture corresponding with the 

 period of his life, three stages in the same material as that 

 then being used in the construction of the castle close by ; 

 and after a lapse of three centuries, when the castle was 

 standing deserted and decaying, the owner of the tower built 

 a comfortable dwelling house attached to it ; and as he used up 

 several courses of old Edwardian ashlars, we shall probably 

 not be doing much injustice to his memory if we assume that 

 he found .them ready to his hand, as many builders in the 

 neighbourhood have likewise, in the dismantled castle." 



Of the former occupants of this fortalice no information was 

 obtained, but the name seems to connect them with the 

 family mentioned by Mr. Bosanquet as one of the late owners 

 of Rock. On the lintel of the doorway are the letters J. P. 

 and the date 1652, but very indistinct and worn from the 

 effects of the weather. 



