The second scarcement is at around 9 m and it is suggested that this formed the
basis of a support for the roof. You can see the upper scarcement from the canmore image of a model of
the broch. If this is to support a roof,
then it could have been along the lines suggested by Ian Armit in his book
“Towers in the North”
I suppose it is possible that access was via ladders on the inside - but then there had to be some kind of hatch or opening to get outside - certainly nothing like this visible now.
Four galleries are clearly visible within the thickness of
the wall and the remains of a fifth can be seen.
Ian Armit has an interesting idea about the purpose of the
galleries:
Dun Telve has an imposing double entrance - was this for show or for defence?
The "guardcell" on the left of the inner entrance is quite long and the stones are rather pretty - from the outer edges of the wall - the stones would be simply the usual grey stones, but on the walls facing inwards of the guards cell, the stones are rather decorative - this must have been intentional but what was the intention?
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| Attractive stones in the guard cell |
Around the outside of both Telve and Troddan were several small blocks of stone carved with the letters VR. What did they mean? I know the answer now so you'll have to read on to find out.
i made some comments about roof access but later read Euan Mackie's account on Canmore which offers some different perspectives.....
ReplyDelete"Level 3: the second gallery runs continuously over the chamber over the entrance passage, the circumferential lintels of the latter resting on the radial lintels of the gallery; its walls too are smoothly and neatly finished. Its height is 1.68m (5.5 ft) with a width at floor level of 63cm (2 ft 1 in) and at the top of 46cm (1.5 ft).
Levels 4-5: the remains of the two galleries above – the third and fourth – are little more than 30cm (1 ft) wide with sides of rough masonry having many projecting stones.
Level 6: the foundations of the fifth gallery are preserved at the present wallhead (the greatest height of which is now 10.22m (33.5 ft), its floor of lintels being at the same height as the upper scarcement, namely 9.00m (29.5 ft). Thus Level 6 should include the vanished wooden structure partly resting on this ledge, which was presumably some kind of pitched roof with a covering of thatch. Whether a hole in its centre would have been required to admit light and let out smoke is not clear."