Discuss the functions of tower houses in Britain and Ireland, using examples from different regions. Illustrate your essay with specific examples.

Tower House was a fortified medieval residence of multiple storeys built with the purpose of defending against attacks. They were basically types of castle. They were usually built of stone and were quadrangular in design. The tower houses were abundantly built in the late history of castle-building and were spread throughout the landscape (Donnelly, 1996; Hull, 2009).
The tower houses and military castles both were built in the medieval times for the purpose of defense; however, the major difference was that tower houses were equipped with dwelling facilities as well. They were fortified residences. There main purpose was the protection of people from riots, disputes, raider and thefts (Danachair, 1977). With defense measures to resist petty, small time plunderers rather than marching armies, they were country seat of their time, marked by everyday domestic activities and administration of the estate (Donnelly, 1996).
The designing and construction of the castles in the latter part of fourteenth to the end of the fifteenth century was greatly affected by military and domestic elements (Toy, 1985). Basically, the tower houses were defended home of wealthy landowning class and were constructed by both Anglo-Irish and Gaelic families during the period of 1400 to 1650AD. They were also means of declaring the status and position of the owner in the society (Donnelly, 1996). The tendency to strengthening of the outer defense only prevailed for some initial time. As the time line progressed, an ever increasing desire to enhance the living-rooms, office and other domestic spaces in convenient relation to each other was witnessed (Toy, 1985).
There were no two tower houses which are identical in architecture and design. The tower houses from the same era shared many features but there were always some differing attributes in terms of location, variety and number of features. Typically, the tower houses were built on a rectangular or square base plan with tall walls which were tapered upward from the thick, base battered foundations. The ground level was where entrance was situated, framed by an arched doorway of dressed stone. The open floor of the machicolation enabled the missiles to be dropped at the attackers below and bartizans and tourelles can jut out from an upper corner or the crenellated parapet. Both these details (as shown in the figure) provided the circuit of the building with additional defense. The entrance in some tower houses lead to a small lobby. In the roof of the lobby, often a murder hole was positioned, which was yet another defensive feature. This enabled the household members to dispatch any unwanted visitors from the safety of the building’s first floor. On one side of the lobby, there may be an entrance to a small subsidiary chamber or a main chamber and on the other side a spiral staircase leading to the upper floors. The plan on ground level was often repetitive on upper floors (Donnelly, 1996).
The purposes of constructing tower houses were not merely defense. A domestic life component was also associated with them. Records reveal that huge feasts use to be given and guests were entertained with great hospitality in the uppermost storey. The fire was kindled in the chambers. The furniture, however, was scarce. There were proper arrangement of heat and sanitation. The remains of these structure reveals that tower houses were not isolated features on the landscape; rather they were the economic and social centers, especially in the rural community (Donnelly, 1996).
The defense of the tower house was designed in two folds. At first level, the bawn’s shot holes and loops worked in conjunction to hold the enemy away from the circuit. If this defense failed, a secondary defense mechanism came into play as the occupants retreated into the tower house and firmly shut the yet and wooden doors behind them. Shot holes made the doorway a killing zone. The box machicolation on the parapet allowed the dropping of missiles. If the enemy was able to survive that and enter the building, the residents would close the entrance lobby door and retreat to upper levels. In the lobby, the intruders were faced with attack through the murder hole above their heads. In the tower houses, at times some of these mechanisms were used. The defenses of tower house were not suitable to deal with large size of armies and greater use of artillery (Donnelly, 1996).
The fourteenth century castles were usually built on hills, as Pierrefonds in France and Cesena in Italy and differed in plan as much as the site characteristics. The ones on the ground level were normally rectangular, were defended by the corner and were surrounded by moats as the castles at Ferrara and Mantua in Italy, Vincennes in France and Bodiam in Britain. But all in all, whether the tower house were situated in plain land or hills, particular attention was given to the approaches by which it was based difficult, dangerous and open to attack from the castle (Toy, 1985).
In Scotland, the tower houses were also built as a reaction to the requirement of protection from sudden, brief attacks. To withstand prolong sieges was not its purpose. They were most common in Scotland, however, they were found in other regions as well like Northern England and Ireland. In 1535, an Act of Parliament was passed stating that the land owners having land worth of £100 were to construct a tower house or castle, to defend his property. They typically comprised of sequence of single-chambered storey, which were stacked over one another. These tower houses first emerged during the Wars of Independence, when Scotland was plagued with uncertainty and small group of marauders plundered the countryside (Hull, 2009).
Typically, the tower houses consisted of walled enclosures called barmkins, with height rising from forty to eighty feet (12.2-24.4m), divided into at least three levels. The main attention and focus of the design was on defense. In tune with the idea, the walls were thick and the entrance to the first level was barred with iron grates and very few windows. Each level was designated for a single function: the ground level was used as a storage area, the first level served as hall or kitchen and the uppermost level was reserved for residency (Hull, 2009).
In the late 14^th century, the L-plan tower houses were developed, which possessed additional smaller wing built at a right angle to the main tower. This additional space was incorporated to be utilised as living space and a modicum of comfort in the otherwise stark structures. A U-plan tower houses were built with two additional wings, which projected from corners on the same side of the main tower. The Z-plan tower houses were characterised by offsetting wings jutting out from opposite ends of the main rectangular tower. This design amplified the capacity of defense for the castle. After the innovation of adding extra wings became a permanent feature of the tower houses, the main tower started holding more luxurious living quarters and rooms, examples being kitchen, hall and chapels. The tower houses were sufficiently strong to counter any attacks but at times, some of them stood within the walls of stone-enclosure castles. Dunnottar, Uraquhart and Edinburgh are such examples (Hull, 2009).
In the late 17^th century, however, the focus on defense started changing to comfort in the Scottish tower house. Simpler medieval strongholds architectural style was adopted and now tower houses mere exist as element of inner core of these structures (Hull, 2009). The majority of castles constructed in Scotland were defensible tower houses and not fortresses. The siting of these tower houses was overall less critical than fortress site selection. The tower houses of Edinburgh, Stirling, Dumbarton, Dunnottar, Urquhart were therefore, situated on rocky outcrops. The major stability and structural strength of the tower houses came from the natural strength of their sites rather than any man-made defenses. As the function of the tower houses was seen to shift in the 17^th century from protection to leisure, they started getting situated close by a river as at Huntly, with the intent of enjoying good access to water and fishing (Reid & Turner, 2006).
These tower houses were built, at times, within the boundaries of towns for providing security to the land owners, when in 1950 the Hamiltons and Douglases turned the Edinburgh’s High Street into war zone. The tower houses became such a well established trend that it began being incorporated in the practice of building of the town houses (Reid & Turner, 2006).
Examples of tower houses built in Scotland include Provost Skene’s House in the Guestrow which started as an L-plan tower house in 1545; Provost Ross’ House in the Shiprow dating from 1593; Mar’s Castle in the Gallowgate in 1595 and Keith of Benholm’s Lodging in the Netherkirkgate in 1600 (Reid & Turner, 2006).
The tower houses were built in a straight ward manner, with very thick-walled basement or ground level, which was divided into arched chambers. These chambers served to hold the living areas above. At this level, small gun loops or windows could be found in the walls. In some these tower houses, there were pit prisons present in the thickness of the wall. In the older tower houses, mural chambers are present up above. These became less common as the jambs and flanking towers were added. The walls were constructed of stone in all of the tower houses. The roofs were always steeply pitched and enclosed by crow-stepped gables (Reid & Turner, 2006).
The Scots’ unusual enthusiasm for gunpowder and its instrument can be seen in the designing and detailing of most of these tower houses. Initially, towers were rectangular and were defended simply by dropping missiles from a great height below. The introduction of firearms, the design brought about modifications in the design as blind spots were eliminated and interlocking field of fire was achieved. Also, firearms influenced the detailing of the gun loops, which appeared in singularity or multitude at place of sensitivity such as entrance. The defense principle behind the construction of tower houses was of close defense; sitting tight and hoping the attackers to go away. The wealthy owners, with large enough tower houses were able to use light cannon as a defense (Reid & Turner, 2006).
To cite some examples of the tower house to better understand its function is as follows. Chateau de Pierrefonds, Oise, constructed in 1390-1400, stands on a land cape. It was protected by natural escarpments of hill on three sides and on the fourth side; there was a defense of powerful outwork. In between the castle and outwork was a wide ditch. Round towers were constructed to defend the rectangular curtain plan, one at each angle and one in the middle of each side. The intermediate tower on the south was largest and strongest, hence defended the gateway. There was a machicolated parapet encompassing the towers and walls. The access to the tower was provided by two ramps from both east and west sides and was such that it could be under direct attack from the main building walls or outwork (Toy, 1985).
Among the past relics of Irish countryside, late medieval tower house are most prominent of all (Danachair, 1977). Irish tower houses were developed in the beginning of fifteen century also as a means of defense against sudden attacks. They ranged from three to six storeys in height (Hull, 2009). They soared twenty or more meters in height governing the surrounding fields (Danachair, 1977). They were equipped with distinctive top levels which were marked by stepped battlements and a double-gabled roof, supporting the attic. There were some fitted with an extra corner turret resembling Scotland’s L-plan tower house, while there were others having turrets at opposite ends resembling the Z-plan tower house (Hull, 2009).
Similar to the Scottish tower house in design and function, the Pele tower house was found in the northern part of England to defend against assaults by small raiding parties. These were smaller than the typical tower house. The walls were three to four feet (0.9 to 1.2m) in thickness on an average. Many of them featured a barmkin. There was a time when Northumberland had two hundred Pele towers and Cumberland and Westmoreland had ninety of them built (Hull, 2009).
Another example of tower house is the Audley’s Castle in Ireland. This fifteenth century tower house and bawn was constructed by the Audley family. At present, even with the ruined bawn, the full circuit of the tower house can be traced. It was of gatehouse type with two towers projecting and linked by the high arch for the purpose of defending the entrance. One tower contained latrines whereas in the other were rooms and a spiral stair leading to roof. The tower was equipped of domestic comforts like cupboards, window-seats and drain holes for slops (Northern Ireland Environmental Agency, 2009).
Cowd Castle in Ardglass, Ireland is also a significant group of tower-houses in the medieval Northern Ireland. Cowd was a small squarish tower house built in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, constructed out of split stone rubble with a battered base. The inside of the tower house had two floors and an attic. There were narrow loops found on the ground level. At the first level, there were two windows with window seats found as well. It is perceived that in the original form, the tower was connected to the town wall and a door at the west wall at ground level was later inserted. The floors were accessed by the stairs in the wall thickness (Northern Ireland Environmental Agency, 2009).
To sum up, the tower houses were constructed widely between the 14^th and 17^th century in different regions such as Ireland, Scotland, Italy, France, Northern England, etc. The main purpose of the structure was to provide land owners safety of life and property as well as provide them the luxury of domestic life. These tower houses provided security against plunderers and raids, but not against actual warfare. There construction continued till 17^th century, when the building designs changed to thin walled fortified house with defense mechanism, after which the construction stopped altogether (Donnelly, 1996).