Mr. Tate on Dunstanburgh Castle. 93 



plete, rose to the height of eighty feet above the ground. 

 {Plate III. a. and Plate IV.) This indeed had been the 

 keep of the castle — theie are traces of no other, and in the 

 survey of 1538, it is called by the equivalent name of the 

 dongeon. There are three storeys in the circular portion of 

 the towers, the lowest one being vaulted. The doorways, 

 windows, and fire-places, shew the characteristic style of the 

 Edwardian architecture ; some windows are double, narrow, 

 and pointed; other windows and doors and a fire-place have 

 shoulder or contracted headings ; and the same characteristics 

 mark the other towers. A large portion of the south wall 

 is still in a good condition. It had been defended by four 

 other towers. A little eastward of the gate-house a small 

 tower projects from the upper part of the wall supported by 

 corbelling; further eastward is another large tower three 

 storeys in height, in a good state, with double, narrow pointed 

 windows ; and next appears another small tower. On the 

 south-east corner stands St. Margaret's tower, of three storey 

 height, overhanging a high cliff and looking down into the 

 Rumble-churn. 



On the west side the most remarkable object is Lilburn 

 tower {Plate J 7 ".), standing on a steep hill, and rising grandly 

 from the midst of detached columns of basalt, which seem 

 to protect the base. This tower, being well built of large 

 ashlars, has by some been regarded as the work of a later age ; 

 but its double, narrow pointed windows and shoulder-headed 

 doorway shew that it is of the same period as the other por- 

 tions of the castle. It is of four storeys height, with a small 

 tower rising above them at each corner. Another small 

 mural tower is between this and the gate-house ; and near to 

 the south-west corner there had been a gateway about 1 1 feet 

 in width, near to the inner court yard. 



Behind the gate-house are walls and mounds of debris, but 

 of no great extent — the remains of offices enclosing the court 

 yard, within which was a draw-well, now partly filled up, 

 but which is described as being deep ; for here the thick 

 overflow of basalt would have to be pierced before reaching 

 water-bearing strata. A similar draw-well supplied Bam- 

 burgh castle, where it was within the great keep, and was 

 sunk through 75 feet of basalt and 60 feet of sandstones. The 

 most distinguished remains within the castle area are the 

 walls of what seems to have been the chapel, which is about 

 33 feet long and 13 feet broad, standing directly east and 



