On Ed'm's Hall, by John TurnbuU. 93 



It has two entrances. One of these is on the south side and close 

 to the door of the principal building. It is raised by a high step 

 about two feet from the ground. It is 2ft. 3in. wide, and the 

 wall through which it passes is 5ft. thick. The other entrance 

 is on the south side. It is 4ft. wide, and is on the level of the 

 ground. The east wall is 2ft. 3in., and the north wall 3ft. thick. 

 In this chamber were found some bones, teeth, remains of 

 burned wood, a stone whorl, and what may have been a hone 

 or sharpening stone. On the east of this building are found- 

 ations, but the plan could not be traced. 



Besides the important building which has just been described,* 

 there are within the space enclosed by the ramparts several 

 smaller remains, which have also been excavated. None of these, 

 however, are within the subsidiary enclosure in which the prin- 

 cipal building is situated. The largest of them is about 50 feet 

 south-east of the principal building, and touches the wall form- 

 ing the subsidiary enclosure already mentioned. It is a circular 

 building, or rather foundation, 47ft. in internal diameter. The 

 wall along the north and east sides is 8 or 9ft. thick. On the 

 south-west the ground rises, and has been cut into, so as to pre- 

 vent the floor having too much of a slope, and here accordingly 

 there is no wall having faces, but the stones rest against the 

 face of the cutting. Some of the stones are 3ft. by 2ft., but 

 most of them, though of considerable size, are smaller than this. 

 The door is on the east side, and is about 4^ft. wide, but it can- 

 not be exactly measured. One of the outside corner stones 

 which remain, measures 2ft. Tin. high by 2ft. Gin. outside of the 

 wall, and 1ft. 9in. to the doorway. There is no stone near, 

 which could have formed a lintel, nor are there any accumula- 

 tions of stones or debris to indicate that the walls had ever stood 

 much above the level of the ground. About 7 feet south of the 

 doorway was an appearance as if of another doorway, but if 

 such had ever existed at all it was too indistinct to be traced 

 when excavated. Outside of the doorway, both on the north 

 and south sides, are foundations as of walls enclosing a small 



* A reason for such a prodigiously massive construction as Edin's Hall 

 exhibits, Major General Lefroy is of opinion, may be found in the ex- 

 cessive insecurity of a circular building of dry stone without external 

 openings, against an active enemy who could get at the foot of the wall ; for 

 he would certainly quarry through in time. 



