

Round Towers
The village dwellings huddle against the protective tower, like ducklings around their mother.During the Dark Ages, many round towers were constructed in northern parts of the British Isles, known as ‘brochs’ in Scotland, and ‘cloigtheach’ in Ireland. Although the reasons for their construction are unclear, their names give clues as to their purpose. ‘Cloigtheach’ means ‘bell house’ and ‘broch’ has its roots in the word ‘brough’, a lowland word for fort and similar in meaning to the Germanic ‘burg’ and ‘borough’. This, along with the clusters of village buildings at their feet, indicates that round towers were intended for both defensive and administrative purposes. The defensive aspect is also borne out by their height – up to forty metres – which enabled a 360 degree view of the surrounding land (and therefore any approaching forces) and the fact that the entrance door was usually several feet up, with a ladder which could be raised or lowered to give access or postholes into which wooden steps could be inserted for the same purpose. However, the position of the door could also be a matter of stability, as the foundations used were surprisingly shallow - so a ground level door would weaken the structure. Rooms within the towers were generally positioned inside a second wall, with stairs between the two to give access to the upper levels. This made them very secure and therefore a likely place to keep valuables safe from marauding raiders.

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Node Set Military Tier 11 |
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