The Medieval Foundations

Medieval Foundations date from the 13th century and are down short flights of steps from the West Tower, underneath the Rose Garden terrace.

On your right side you will pass a passage cut through the north curtain wall that leads into a small cellar, the Sally Port Cellar where the curved shape of the adjoining tower projects into the room. Here excavations revealed the foundations of a 16th Tudor building, built by Thomas, 10th Earl of Ormond and underneath that again a medieval sod house.

In the corridor, a glass floor panel shows the sloping foundation wall or base batter. Wire mesh flooring covers access to a postern gate that opened into the dry moat that surrounded three sides of the castle.  Two short flight of steps at this end leads up to the ground floor of the Castle.