(photograph © Kiwidutch)
It came as no surprise that a castle this old contains a dungeon…
It’s deep in the base of one of the round towers and consists of a circular chamber that is approximately 3 times as tall as it is wide. Entry,centuries ago (our volunteer guide tells us) was via a trapdoor in the ceiling.
There is a small recess in one part of the wall but other than that, no other means of exit or entry, no light and probably no furniture of any sort.
We are told that prisoners thrown down here invariably sustained injuries from the fall, and life expectancy after incarceration was short.
In recent decades when the castle was restored, a small doorway was made to give the visiting public access to the dungeon, but there is still a short, steep wooden set of stairs to negotiate if you actually want to step down inside.
Confined spaces don’t bother me too much but I’m not great with heights so I didn’t brave these stairs but the rest of Family Kiwidutch did and they said it was ok to look at for a few minutes but it wasn’t in any way welcoming and they dreaded the idea of being locked up here in the dark.
Our guide took questions from people doing the tour with us and one of the questions asked was “ why not just dig your way out, at least try and escape?!“
Our guide replied: … “first you would have been in good enough physical state to dig though stone with your bare hands and second, the walls here are 7 meters thick!“
My measurement converter tells me that 7m = 22.97 feet.
No-one mentions this kind of thing in fairy tale castles… and the dark side of the way human beings have treated their enemies is as old as mankind itself.
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
That place looks so eerie and I wont be able to go inside those I am claustrophobic
Comment by rsmacaalay — February 28, 2011 @ 7:08 am |
It was eerie indeed… I don’t blame you for not wanting to venture inside.
Comment by kiwidutch — March 3, 2011 @ 6:59 pm |
I suppose we need to hear the good as well as the bad…well, more like, pure evil. It is a little sad to know this beautiful place has such a dark side – that the owners could be upstairs, regaling and dining on fine foods while some poor sot is rotting in the dark of the dungeon. Do your wee kiwis understand these sort of places?
Comment by milkayphoto — February 28, 2011 @ 6:13 pm |
I think the wee Kiwi’s only understand in a very vague abstract way, the horror of reality fortunately goes over their heads. They don’t dwell on it, and they are too young to need to know just how bad this would have been. Sometime you can give kids too much information.
I often think that somehow the very rich did not connect to the suffering of anyone else much (and in some ways in this respect what has changed?) so they cared little for life and more about property, comfort, wealth and themselves.
What their conscience told them, who knows…
Comment by kiwidutch — March 3, 2011 @ 7:05 pm |
Thank you for the tour (here and your previous post). I’ve always liked visiting castles when I still lived in Germany.
Even wanted to be a princess when I was little (just like almost every other girl!), but never found a “real” prince
Comment by thedailyclick — March 1, 2011 @ 12:30 am |
I found and married my own “Prince”, but he mislaid the title and riches LOL .. oh well, never mind, It was ” for richer for poorer” after all
Comment by kiwidutch — March 3, 2011 @ 7:09 pm |