The only way into the castle these days is through the new extension and as you will notice there is a strong entrance door. It is a replica of the original door that would have been here in the 17th century, possibly replaced in the early 20th century.

The door is made of solid oak wood and is unlocked using a large key unlike the small ones we use today, but the main feature of this door is on the rear......that being the lock itself.

The lock is missed by many people as when the door is open it is near invisible, and you can walk past it and not realise how such an crucial feature secured the castle from the outside world. It measures roughly 30cm by 20cm in size and about 10cm thick with a large bolt inside that slides out securing it into the metal plate on the wall structure.

The mechanics of the lock is not too dissimilar to that of the heavy metal chest you will see in the Grand Hall which has its locking mechanism available to view.

The door is covered in about 70 metal studs, these studs contribute to the strength of the door as it is nails as we known them today were not invented yet so these studs were used to bolt two layers of wood both horizontal and vertically together.

The outside door handle, lock and hinges are still the original 17th century parts.
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