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Bagenals Castle

Elevation Drawing 1570 - 80

The contemporary plans and elevations enable a good correlation to be made between the structure as it has emerged from the former McCann's Bakery and these records kept as official documents from the late 16th century, possibly as a record of State expenditure.

It is worth noting that the elevation drawing and the set of four floor plans appear to be drawn by different hands. The elevation drawing is largely a ruled drawing with little understanding of perspective and varies in style from the same view placed on the map, a more accomplished sketch with some differences in the treatment of the chimney elevations and the roof.

The elevation drawing shows the front of the west face of the tower house (49ft+long) and the north wall (26ftlong). It is of three stories, 36ft (11.5M) high (using the scale of 8ft to one inch provided), with an attic and wall walk above.

The projecting stair tower is entered from an external door, 6ft in height, near a ground floor door to the castle of similar height. The doors are of wood panel construction secured by iron bolts. A machicolation high up in this angle, below the battlements, provided some protection to these vulnerable entry points. Small loops about 3ft in height are indicated at ground floor level and at intervals in the stair tower.

Pairs of mullioned windows, with hood mouldings above, are shown at first and second floors levels of the west elevation. Those on the first floor are about 4ft in height and have two stone mullions each while those on the second floor are closer to 6ft high and each has three mullions.

The attic is shown with two dormer windows and a wood panelled door leading into it from the top of the stair tower.

Battlements (stone ?) 4ft 6ins high (recorded in note form on the attic floor plan) are shown resting on projecting corbels. They are running inside a pair of chimney stacks on the north wall and possibly outside a pair of stacks on the south wall (?).