entrance to this floor must have been by a ladder and trap from the flour above. It was of course a store or cellar, as usual.
At a later date, a doorway, 4 ft. 6 in. broad and 8 ft. to the springing, has been cut through the west wall near the north end. This has a slightly pointed arch. Its masonry is a small weak rubble without any dressings; and this, and the absence of bond with the older work, show it to be an insertion. In the north-east corner the wall has been rudely cut away to some depth, to form a fire-place and an oven. The bricks composing these have been removed, and a recent pier of masonry supports the wall above. The chimney shaft of this and a fire-place in the floor above, have been formed by cutting away the inner face of the wall, which has been rudely restored. No doubt all this is the work of the purchaser, who seems to have lived in the keep, and converted the basement into a kitchen. In the south-west corner is a small platform of stone, said to have carried a wooden stair communicating with the floor above, and of the date of the kitchen. This is probable enough. One of the stones is a late Norman capital, brought from some other part of the castle. The whole interior of this basement is rubble. It contained neither fire-place nor garde-robe. The two loops, its only light, are about 18 in. high, and were probably 4 in. broad, though now increased by weather to 6 in.
The first or state floor was about 30 ft. high, fairly lighted, and contained various mural chambers, in the centre of the west side was the entrance from without, and in each of the other three sides a window. These were of two lights, or rather composed of two tall narrow round-headed windows, coupled under one round head outside, and a similar vaulted recess inside. These recesses commenced about a loot above the floor level, and are 4 ft. 4 in. wide, and to the springing about 12 ft. high. Their sides are parallel, not convergent, and each contained four steps ascending towards the window. There are no mouldings nor decorations, but the quoins are ashlar. The window, arches, imposts and jambs, are plain and good. The central window piers or mullions are gone, but in two cases the small head arches remain. In the third case, that in the east face, the window has been removed and replaced by one in brick, but the recess is untouched.
