The gatehouse, of which the ruins of the bastions are standing, was begun early in the 13th century, but was afterwards much altered and provided with a draw-bridge and a stone causeway over the moat.

 

View of the Gatehouse as it stands today

 

The original approach to the gatehouse was across a massive 68 feet (20.7m) long wooden bridge. This arrangement was however expensive to mantain and in 1405 the present stone causeway as seen above, complete with drawbridge pit was built.

Of the two great drum-shaped towers which flanked either side of the entrance little remains. One tower has all but collapsed with just the foundations and part of the walls in place as they were built. The left tower is in slightly better condition and does at least give some idea of the structures once proud guardians of the castle. The chase for the portcullis can still be seen carved into the stone at the front of the entrance passage.

 

Here you can see inside of the gatehouse tower which had three floors.
On the ground is an entrance to a lower room which is only accessible
through this hole and may have served as a prison cell - see below

 

The basement room on the left side has survived quite well and can be entered by a spiral staircase to the room below (see below) . This is devoid of windows and frequently floods in time of heavy rain - what purpose this would have served in the castle is unknown. The backs of these towers probably had wooden walls sealing off the rear of the towers as there is no evidence of stonework which would have served this purpose. In the photograph above on the right are the remains of a substantial fireplace and the chimney channel can be seen running up the wall up to the roof of the tower.

 

 

Grating covers the hole in the left gatehouse tower floor. About 20 feet to the bottom
If used as a prison they would have to be lowered and raised by
rope as there is no other way down .

 

The spiral staircase to the basement room of the right tower

 

 

 

 

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