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HAWARDEN CASTLE.

centre is the gateway, and above, the window of the portculis chamber. It is extended laterally in two wings, rising about half its height, and also dying into the wall above. These are intended to strengthen the wall, weakened by a well-stair and a lodge. As this buttress covers a considerable segment of the circle, and is flat, it is broken into three planes by two vertical angles. The modern brick and stone wall replacing the battlement is rugged and broken, but in parts about 12 ft. high, and intended to give elevation to the keep. The building thus made extensively visible has become a sort of parish cynosure, and however irregular its appearance, it would scarcely be in good taste to remove the addition.

The keep has two floors. The lower is cylindrical, 31 ft. in diameter, with walls 14 ft. to 15 ft. thick. It was about 14 ft. high, with a ceiling of logs, which rested upon some forty plain corbels, of which about seventeen remain. At two opposite points, about half way up the wall, are two larger corbels, which evidently supported the struts destined to give stiffness to the central and longest beam.

This chamber, no doubt a store-room, save when in time of siege it might accommodate soldiers, was entered direct from the gateway, and rather ventilated than lighted by three equidistant openings, about 4 ft. from the floor, 4 ft. broad, and 5 ft. high, having shouldered heads and within a shouldered covering. The sides converge, and the floor rises to a small square-headed loop of 4 in. opening. There is neither fire-place, seat, nor recess. The floor has been removed. There is no subterranean chamber.

The upper chamber within is an octagon, inscribed about the cylinder below, with walls from 13 ft. to 14 ft. thick, and from side to side 31 ft. It is about 15 ft. high to the corbels that carried its flat roof, and a row of larger corbels along one of the remaining faces seems to have supported struts necessary to make the roof a safe platform for military engines and stone ammunition. This, which was a state-room, was lighted by three recesses at irregular distances. They are 6 ft. 6 in. wide, and rise from the floor 8 ft., being covered by slightly-pointed drop arches. Each has a vaulted roof and parallel sides, which afterwards converge upon a square-headed window, 2 ft. wide, and 5 ft. 6 in. high, having a plain chamfer outside. In each side