THIRD PERIOD 532 HERMITAGE CASTLE windows of that story have all gibblet checks 011 the exterior, so that they might be protected by wooden shutters, when the hoardings were erected, and the castle was undergoing a siege. The arches between the towers would enable these hoardings to be car- ried straight across the east and west fronts, where the recess between the towers is too narrow for the hoardings to be returned round the recess. But these recesses seem to have been still further utilised for defensive purposes. There are corbels at three different levels under the western arch, showing that there were floors inserted at these levels, and the door from the north-west tower above mentioned leads into one of these floors. Several tiers of defenders could thus be placed in good positions for assailing the enemy, without exposing the castle to any danger from large windows or other openings in the walls, for these defences were all really outside of the main building. With these appli- ances, and the hoarding all round the upper story, and the battlements round the roof, without taking into account the wet ditches and out- works, this castle must have been an unusually strong one for defence. The arch between the two eastern' towers had fallen at the beginning of this century, but has been rebuilt, evidently in much the same position and form as it originally occupied. There would seem to have been an unusual number of entrance doors in this building. First, there was probably a postern at the ground level into the small courtyard where the present door is. Another postern was introduced, as above mentioned, in the south-east corner tower. At the west end of the castle, on the first floor, there has been a portcullis, one groove for which still exists quite perfect, the other groove having been removed along with part of the wall when the south-west wing was added. This undoubtedly marks the position of an entrance door, situated, as usual at the time, on the first floor. 1 There would appear to have been a third door in the centre of the north wall, also on the first floor level, entering to the newel stair, from which access could be had to either portion of the double tower by small stairs and passages, which can still be traced. But this door has long been built up. At the north-west angle of the main building there is a square pit, which appears to have been a draw-well ; but from the entire demolition of the interior walls it is impossible to make out the arrange- ment of the plan. There are no windows in the external walls on the ground floor, and the original windows on the upper floors have been very small. The apartments were probably lighted by windows into the small court, 1 Mr. Armstrong has been good enough to point out that there are indications of the grooves for another portcullis in the outer wall to the west of the above portcullis, and that that corner of the south-west tower is therefore probably older than the remainder, and contained the entrance door to the castle, which was thus defended with two portcullises.
