Then came the roof, round which was a rampart walk protected by the battlements, and leading to the four angle turrets which rose above the general mass of the building. Access to these various floors was given by a commodious circular staircase more than 11 ft. in diameter. There were thus four main rooms; the basement, the entrance floor, the hall of two storeys, and the room over it. All these, except the basement, were warmed by a large fireplace, and lighted--if lighted it can be called--by eight small windows. The hall had in addition eight two-light windows in the triforium. There is no room which can be identified as the kitchen; there is no indication that the windows were glazed. [Illustration: 2. Castle Hedingham, Essex. The Keep (_cir._ 1130). The head of the entrance door is visible on the left: the opening on the right is modern.] [Illustration: 3. Castle Hedingham, Essex. Plans of the Keep. 1. Ground Floor, or Basement. 2. First, or Entrance Floor. 3. The Great Hall. 4. Upper part of Hall, with Gallery. 5. Room over Hall.] [Illustration: 4. Castle Hedingham, Essex. A window of the gallery in the hall.] Against the means of attack which were then available this place was impregnable, but the safety thus assured must have been both gloomy and draughty. In its way, however, it was a lordly residence; the main rooms were spacious, the smaller rooms were considerable in number, the staircase was of ample width. The gallery must have afforded a certain amount of quasi-privacy to those who were not privileged to occupy the mural chambers. The architectural detail of the doorways, windows, arches, and fireplaces is good (Figs. 4, 5, 6). Across the middle of the entrance floor and of the hall is thrown a fine bold semicircular arch, of nearly 30 ft. span, to carry the floor of the room over (see section, Fig. 5); the whole treatment is simple, sturdy, and splendid, as befitted the chief stronghold of the race for whom it was built, the De Veres, Earls of Oxford. [Illustration: 5. Castle Hedingham, Essex. Section of the Keep.] [Illustration: 6. Castle Hedingham, Essex. A Fireplace. Showing the short flue leading to a vertical vent in the face of the wall.]