Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Tower 3 at the N apex of the ward (ME036-048078-) was called the Magdalen Tower, and is a large square tower (ext. dims 13.7m x 13.4m) with a basement (int. dims 5.1m x 4.9m) and evidence of two upper floors. At the same time as the hall (ME036-048079-) was constructed c. 1300 the Magdalen tower was transformed into a solar, i.e. a private domain for the lord’s family (Hayden 2011, 159-70) and took on the appearance of a tower house. A new ramp entrance to the basement of the tower was provided from the SW and the stairs to the level above was blocked (ibid. 208-13). The only access to the two upper floors was now from the N corner of the Great Hall, although evidence of this does not survive. The old arrow loops were blocked up and the floor space of the tower was increased by breaking out the mural passages of the NW and NE walls to create a large open space (int. dims 9.4m NW-SE; 8.4m NE-SW). This was provided with a fireplace at SW, and a new window embrasure in each wall, although the SW wall does not survive. There was also access at two levels to a new D-shaped garderobe or latrine tower (int. dims 3.8m NE-SW; 1.2m NW-SE) projecting into the moat at NE, and this tower has arches at the base to allow water flow through. The newel stairs at the S angle of the tower provided access to the floor above, which was supported on offsets on the NW and NE walls and a single corbel survives on the SE. This level has a fireplace in the NE wall, two windows with seats in the SE wall overlooking the moat, and single windows in the NE and NW walls. There is access to the garderobe tower from the N angle, and at the W angle a chamber in the wall provided access to the parapet of the solar and to the wall-walk of the W curtain wall, but only fragments of these features survive (ibid. 211-13). A fine octagonal pillar, probably re-used from a suppressed church property, was added to the basement in the later sixteenth century before that level was filled in with layers of rubble and soil by the mid-seventeenth century. At the first level the embrasure in the SE wall was widened and a platform added outside, of which only the toothing stones are now evident (ibid. 273).

See the attached plan and view of the interior of the Magdalen Tower from S (1) and view of re-used pillar (2)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 11 July 2019

References

Hayden, A. 2011. Trim Castle, Co. Meath: Excavations 1995-8. Dublin, Stationary Office: Archaeological Monograph Series, No. 6.